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Okay! Power Has Been Restored!

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At least I got a nice walk out of it. It’s a really pretty day — cool and really sunny.

And by the time I got back home, the power was back on.

So here I am!

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I guess I’ll just get right to it, since I have a bunch of stuff I need to do this afternoon — try to complete the flash fiction piece for the Burroughs anthology (all 400 more words of it). Go to the bank and put in enough cash to cover the mortgage (due in about 5 minutes). Stop in at the post office and ship a complimentary copy of The Mammoth Book of Erotic Photography (2001) to investigative journalist Zak Winters! (The book includes photos by RC Horsch — the last time I worked with him, in fact, before he started to become a really scary individual. I co-edited that book for a British publisher, with Maxim Jakubowski.)

Then I gotta do yoga, wash hair, etc. — all the exciting things I do on my day off!!

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Okay!

The Rolling Stones now have Winter merch available!!

Visit HERE to peruse and then order!!

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Alex S. Johnson interviewed author Francesca Lia Block! (1 hr 20 mins):

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I don’t know how he manages to electrocute himself while taking a selfie, but however he does it, he’s really good at it!!

Warren Ellis, hours before the show in Berlin yesterday!!

And here’s this, while we’re at it!! Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, “Born To Lose” — sort of “live” in 1977 :

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Here’s this!

From Phyllis Stein.

And I have to say here, gang, that I love Joan Jett.

And not because of her image, her attitude, her music, but because my dearly departed, late-great friend Holly Lane, used to manage Joan Jett’s record label, Blackheart Records, and back then, Holly had some on again, off again issues with heroin. She was struggling.

Joan stood by Holly 100%, kept her employed, helped her stick with rehab and get her life clean and back on track.

Thank you, Joan Jett. It meant so much to Holly and I never forgot that.

And here’s this!! Classic Joan Jett & the Blackhearts!! “Bad Reputation”!! (1980) Such a fantastic song!!

“Bad Reputation”

I don’t give a damn ’bout my reputation
You’re living in the past, it’s a new generation
A girl can do what she wants to do and that’s what I’m gonna do

An’ I don’t give a damn ’bout my bad reputation
Oh no, not me

An’ I don’t give a damn ’bout my reputation
Never said I wanted to improve my station
An’ I’m only doin’ good when I’m havin’ fun
An’ I don’t have to please no one

An’ I don’t give a damn ’bout my bad reputation
Oh no, not me, oh no, not me

I don’t give a damn ’bout my reputation
I’ve never been afraid of any deviation
An’ I don’t really care if you think I’m strange
I ain’t gonna change

An’ I’m never gonna care ’bout my bad reputation
Oh no, not me, oh no, not me
Pedal, boys!

An’ I don’t give a damn ’bout my reputation
The world’s in trouble, there’s no communication
An’ everyone can say what they wanna to say
It never gets better, anyway

So why should I care about a bad reputation anyway?
Oh no, not me, oh no, not me

I don’t give a damn ’bout my bad reputation
You’re living in the past, it’s a new generation
An’ I only feel good when I got no pain
An’ that’s how I’m gonna stay

An’ I don’t give a damn ’bout my bad reputation
Oh no, not me, oh no, not me
Not me, not me

c – 1980 – Joan Jett / Martin Kupersmith / Ritchie Cordell / Kenneth Benjamin Laguna

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Okay!

For the second time in his illustrious life–

Bob Dylan had an audience with a Pope!!

This one happened yesterday, at the Vatican!!

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And more from Phyllis Stein!!

A bunch of Richard Hell!

Here’s Richard, far left, with his “seminal” (sometimes meaning “groundbreaking” sometimes meaning “semen-filled”!) Punk band, Television, at CBGBs in 1975!!

And here’s Richard Hell maybe smoking in NYC in 1977. Not sure! (Photo by Julia Gorton)

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And we’ll round off this day with a couple of great ones from Facebook!!

Nick Cave –a little too closely cropped but looking fantastic!!

And here’s a nice picture!!

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And tomorrow, Friday November 6th, we will undoubtedly discover what Nick Cave’s exciting announcement will be!!

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All right.

That is it for now.

I’m gonna get started around here!

(And I’m hoping to chat with my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn today. She gets her cataract surgery tomorrow…)

Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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And how about closing with this today?!

From the Oldies FM radio station on the retro boombox next to my bed!

Making-the-bed music from this morning!! Yay!!

Tears For Fears’ colossal hit from 1984!! “Shout,” from their hit album, Songs From the Big Chair!! Enjoy, gang!! We sure did!!

Rainy fall day today!!

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Go figure!

It is only November 4th — and finally really feeling like fall. (Cold, cloudy & rainy.)

And just FYI, I still have all of my summer flowers blooming on my kitchen porch. Usually, they are dead and gone by early October. But it probably won’t be much longer now.

(And, NO!!! I’m not going to post this legendary song again!! It would be too obvious!! Thank you for your attention to this matter.)

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This made my wee bonny heart soar this morning, gang.

Apparently, my novel Twilight of the Immortal (2011) was the subject of a recent podcast on Spotify and now book sales for it are cranking again on Amazon !!

Thank you so very much to everyone. I really appreciate it!!

And just a head’s up — there is a really talented young woman in England currently narrating/producing the audiobook version of it. I will be publishing it sometime in early 2027. She is doing a terrific job.

And just for your reading pleasure, here’s a section of the first review the book ever got on Amazon, back in 2011:

“As soon as I read this quote, attributed to Valentino: ‘Observe, Rosemary, how in Hollywood there is no difference between a knife and a smile,’ I knew for sure that I had found a gem! Twilight of the Immortal is both beautifully written and an engaging romp, an insider’s view (fictional though it may be) of life behind the scenes in the 1920’s movie industry, with Rudolph Valentino, Natacha Rambova, and Alla Nazimova, all figuring prominently in the story line. I enjoyed it immensely, from beginning to end.”

Yay!! (I worked on this novel for ten years, gang.)

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Okay.

Since I didn’t post yesterday, I have sort of a bunch of “here’s this’s” to catch up on, so let’s go!!

Here’s this!!

A blatant attempt to make me feel really old!! Yay!!

Nick Cave Official announced yesterday that the Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds EP Your Funeral… My Trial was released 40 years ago!!

Thank you very much!! (Yes, I can remember lying on my bed in my E.12th Street apartment in NYC and listening to this record as if it were only 40 years ago…)

You can listen to it HERE!

And you can also shop for special merch HERE!

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And here’s this!!

And if you’ve never read Keith’s autobiography, Life — it was fantastic. (2011 – 576 pages!)

Here’s Keith, signing & smoking when the glorious book first came out!

And also just smiling!

And here’s Keith again! Not exactly saying, “Fuck you, I’ll smoke if I want to!” But it’s almost as if he’s saying “Fuck you, I’ll smoke if I want to!!”

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And on the topic of the Rolling Stones…

Here’s a wonderful photo of Charlie Watts from long ago, with his wife, Shirley, and their daughter, Seraphina!!

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And here’s this!

A couple of photos of Warren Ellis. (The first one is from Copenhagen.)

And here’s Vicious Warren Elvis!!!

Okay, here’s this again….Lou Reed’s “Vicious” from his legendary album, Transformer (1972)!!

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Okay.

This is AI, but I really liked it.

Nick Cave and a beautiful dog:

This is not AI, and I really liked it!

Nick Cave and a beautiful cigarette:

And from Facebook!

Nick Cave:

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And I guess that is it for today!!

I gotta get moving here and head to town.

Have a wonder-filled Wednesday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!!

I’ve posted it here before, but I really love this song and it came up in my driving-back-from-town playlist last night! It made me so happy. I sang along, really loud!!

Hong Kong’s fabulous Grace Chang singing her huge hit, “Wo Ai Qia Qia” (I love cha-cha) from 1957!! Sing along if you’re able!! And enjoy, gang!!

电影 曼波女郎 插曲
作词：易文
作曲：姚敏

我们欢欢喜喜一起上学校，
我们高高兴兴一起做体操。
鼓声砰砰蓬蓬响，就摇摇摆摆跳，
有谁不会我就来教。

怪模样，不要笑，不要笑，
伊啊恰恰，恰恰恰。
大家跳，别害臊，别害臊，
伊啊恰恰，恰恰恰。

你学伦巴，不时髦，
你学森巴，没情调。
只要你试一遭，就知道恰恰妙，
跳恰恰，多轻巧。

你有清清楚楚伶俐的头脑，
你有结结实实灵活的身腰，
请把拍子听得准，把步子记得牢，
你别害怕谁都能跳，

快狐步，太单调，太单调，
伊啊恰恰，恰恰恰。
圆舞步，太古老，太古老，
伊啊恰恰，恰恰恰。

你学伦巴，不时髦，
你学森巴，没情调。
还不如曼波好，还不如恰恰妙，
跳恰恰多轻巧。

恰恰恰，恰恰恰，恰恰恰，
伊啊恰恰，恰恰恰。
恰恰恰，恰恰恰，恰恰恰，
伊啊恰恰，恰恰恰。

不怕你身体摇，只怕你不肯跳，
跳恰恰多轻巧。

It’s Monday!!

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And my new schedule begins today, wherein I now have Mondays off.

And to launch it — Kara and Wendy and I are meeting for an early lunch in town today to celebrate Wendy’s upcoming birthday!!

Yay!!

Upcoming cake!!

As usual, I am really looking forward to hanging out with both of them. We have all been friends for about 10 years now, but the 3 of us haven’t been able to get together and do lunch since Christmastime.

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And speaking of birthdays (sort of)–

Joe Satriani’s EP, Dreaming #11, turns 38 today!!

I vividly remember seeing the album for sale in Tower Records in downtown NYC. It was clear across the store from where I was standing, but it was up on a rack and the cover art was so blue that it stood out by a mile.

I was a huge Joe Satriani fan, so I was really excited! Ran right over and clutched it and bought it and zipped back to my apartment on E.12th Street and I can’t fucking believe that was 38 years ago…!!!

Anyway.

Here’s “The Crush of Love”, 1988, from Dreaming #11:

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One cool thing (IMHO) about turning the clocks back, is waking up at my “usual time” only to discover I have another hour to just hang out in bed in the dark.

I did some incredibly effective meditating, which I really needed. And while I was doing it, I was thinking how cool it would be if Nick Cave’s announcement on Friday will be for us to do a live group meditation with him on YouTube!!

Wouldn’t that be awesome?? So many people would tune in for that and meditate together — all over the world. And he could come up with some specific mantra for it — I think it would be amazing. Even just for 15 minutes.

I have done group meditations online before, but I have only meditated with another person — you know, in the same room together — one time in my life and it was so astoundingly connecting that it freaked me out.

This was when I was briefly staying with Jack Red Eagle, out in his cabin in the woods of East Texas. He was that Lakota Sioux Medicine Man who was hoping I would take over his practice so that he could retire. He was in his 60s by then.

It turned out I was incredibly gifted with using my mind in that way — healing people and connecting with people — but I was too young (23) and it was still brand new to me and it totally freaked me out. The whole thing, not just the meditating part (where I actually felt his mind and my mind connect, energetically, at the same time that he was feeling it, too, it really was amazing).

Oh, and if you are among the 3 people in the world who have actually read my new novel, The Curse of Our Profound Disorder, you will recognize a lot of this because it shows up in the novel in a fictionalized way — with the character of (the much younger) Jack Kicking Eagle, in his cabin in East Texas…

But it all stems from my real-life (non-sexual) experiences with Jack Red Eagle.

Jack Red Eagle, as he looked back then, in 1983, when I first met him. RIP, Jack:

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The interview yesterday regarding RC Horsch went very well. The reporter (Zak Winters) is very easy to talk to and he kept it moving and I felt very comfortable, even though it was obviously a difficult topic to discuss.

I will let you know when Part 2 of the investigation is posted to YouTube.

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Okay!

Johnny Depp’s been busy!

You’ve probably already seen a ton of videos about his performance with Aerosmith the other night, but it wasn’t until yesterday that I actually found photos of it, rather than videos, so here’s this!

From October 29th!

And then last night, in NYC, he was at a special screening of “Ebenezer”! (Which I think opens in theaters on November 13th?)

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And here’s this!

From Phyllis Stein!!

David Jo with David Bowie (and Earl Slick) drinking and almost smoking at Max’s in NYC in 1977!! At least Bowie is holding a pack of Gitanes… (Photo is by Joe Stevens)

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And here’s Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, reunited in the studio in 1986!!

And here’s this, while we’re at it! Big Audio Dynamite’s “C’mon Every Beatbox,” from no.10 Upping Street, 1986!

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And here’s this!

From Facebook!!

Nick Cave, proving yet again that it’s a great day to be alive!!

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And that is it for today.

I’m hoping that after I return from lunch this afternoon, I can get some more work done on the flash fiction piece for the Bill Burroughs anthology. The deadline is rapidly approaching, and even though the piece is a little over half-done, it is coming out so slowly; word by word by word, instead of in whole sentences.

I don’t know that Bill Burroughs is actually dictating it to me, but it feels like he is. To the point where I actually say out loud to him, “What exactly are you trying to say?” And then one or two more words come.

It’s so weird…

However.

I am hoping my piece will be accepted for the collection because it will be another new publisher for me and it’s been really great getting to know the publisher/editor/writer, Alex S. Johnson. So I’m hoping it will lead to more work. He works with such a wide variety of writers & musicians, from all over the world. Some of whom I know but most of them, I don’t.

It would be great to have some new horizons on the horizon, right, gang??!!

Okay!

I think that is it for now.

Have a great Monday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this today.

The video is only a few days old (made with the help of AI), but the song is from 1988, and I used to totally love this song!! But I hadn’t thought of it in ages….

It turned up in my YouTube feed this morning.

Leonard Cohen, “Everybody Knows,” from his great album I’m Your Man, 1988. Enjoy, gang.

It Has Arrived!

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November, that is.

And my favorite day of the year — wherein I got that extra hour back and I have already used it well! (Making another big breakfast for myself, after feeding and cleaning up after 14 cats… then, yes! I went back to bed for an hour, with my cup o’ joe on the bedside table!)

And now here I am.

I’m not exactly dreading the interview today (at noon — with the investigative reporter, about RC Horsch), but I will be happy when it’s over.

I will also be EXTREMELY happy when this fucking election is over (Tuesday) and all the fucking ADS can just fucking STOP… I am so fucking sick of it.

Anyway! That said, please fucking VOTE.

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Last night was okay. There were a WHOLE lot of kids out there, trick-or-treating. So I’m guessing kids came in from other nearby towns. They were literally just everywhere.

The candy ran out while there was still about 30 more minutes to go, so I took everything down by 7PM, and brought it inside, then turned out the lights and went upstairs.

I am not a fan of Halloween and I am glad it’s over, but the kids had fun.

Meanhwile…

Wayne WhatsApp’d me yesterday about his plans for last night. He’s too funny.

“…I don’t want kids ringing my doorbell, so I’ll leave out my traditional basket of loose cigarettes, strike-anywhere matches and razor blades so the lil’ darlings can help themselves. SAFETY razor blades. After all, I’m not a monster.”

(You know, for a marriage that didn’t last, I still cannot find another living soul that I would rather spend my life with.)

Okay.

I re-watched this magnificent film while the festivities were going on last night, and what another great trip down Memory Lane it was:

I was in my early teens the first time I saw this film (with French Club at school). I remember well how it made me feel — liberated. On so many levels.

It’s so cool to re-watch it, and to know so much more about the French New Wave then I knew way back then, and to have been to Paris a couple of times — and also to have been to Paris for a book signing, to have Neptune & Surf come out twice in French. To know now that I have done things I had no clue I was going to do regarding Paris (and life) when I first saw that film!!

(What I’m going to do for the next however many years I have left, besides take care of rescued cats, is the part that has me really stumped, gang.)

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Okay.

Here’s this . I love this acoustic version. It popped up in my YouTube stream this morning, for some reaason.

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Okay!

We missed this!!

It happened last night, but the post didn’t get into my Instagram feed until this morning.

Bad Seed Jim Sclavunos played Dublin last night with his other band, Transvision Vamp!!

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And I loved this.

From Phyllis Stein.

David Jo and the New York Dolls, in NYC, 1973. Photo by Bob Gruen.

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And also from Phyllis Stein!!

Andy Warhol at Gristede’s in NYC, 1965 — perhaps prepping for Hurricane Sandy! (Photo by Bob Edelman)

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And here’s this!!

Warren Ellis surrounded by FLOWERS!!

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And here’s this.

From Facebook!!

Which reminds me — I watched the rest of that video I posted yesterday — the Nick Cave documentary about his early years in Melbourne.

I really liked it. I liked the sensibility of it and found it actually very informative. I’d heard a lot of that stuff before about the early Boys Next Door years, but this time it all actually made sense.

Here’s the link again, in case you missed it. (36 mins.)

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Okay, that’s all I have for today.

I’m going to finish up the laundry and sort of get my head together before the interview.

Yesterday was intense at work — only 3 hours but they were sort of crazy. The moment we got to the store, the electricity was on the verge of going out.

So the owners came in and the electricity repair guy came. It got fixed but it got the day off to a weird start.

However, a cool thing happened.

A man came up to the cash register while I was standing there and I immediately recognized him from the old days. A really nice man.

He was so happy. He said, “Are you back??” And then he said, “I just found a recipe you wrote for me a long time ago and I was going to come in here and ask what had happened to you — and now here you are!”

i thought that was pretty cool. Sort of Kismet-y.

I’m guessing I wrote him a recipe for how to make your own Hydroxychloroquine at home. We did a lot of that kind of stuff during the lockdowns.

Anyway. It is really good to be back at that store. And nary a lockdown in sight…

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Enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this.

I got really sick & tired of all the commercials on the oldies FM radio station on my retro boombox this morning…

So I turned it off and turned on my driving-to-town playlist on my iPhone instead, and YAY!!

A little bit of heaven filled my room.

Enjoy, gang. I sure did.

“A Rainy Night in Soho”, 1986, Shane MacGowan and The Pogues.

What Lies Ahead!!

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Here in Crazeysburg, we actually have trick-or-treaters coming out on Halloween!!

In the other nearby towns, trick-or-treat already happened on Thursday night. I guess because it frees everyone up to go to parties on Halloween — or church, if, you know, you’re Satanic or something…

Anyway!!

This is only the 2nd year that our village has had door-to-door trick-or-treaters. The kids used to dress up and then all just meet down by the little Town Hall area and get candy there, and play games, etc.

I really, really love seeing the kids all dressed up, going door-to-door!! They have such a good time. I have no clue if I bought enough candy, but we’ll find out!!

My front door doesn’t actually work, so I decorate the area directly in front of the front door and set a big bowl of candy there, and some lit lanterns, so they can help themselves. And I just sit in the family room and sort of happily watch them while sort of watching TV, too.

This is what I noticed last year: the kids are incredibly polite. They only take one piece of candy, each, and then move on to the next house. Even though it’s a big bowl of FREE candy!! Yay!! But all of them were just really polite.

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Okay!

For some reason, I don’t have much today.

But I do have this!

Someone on Facebook was kind enough to give us 3 for the price of ONE!! Yay!!

Keith!! Smoking!!

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Oh! And I found out yesterday, that me and my co-workers will be going to THIS in early December!

At the Licking County Players Theater!! “Miracle on 34th Street”!! I think it’s a musical, but I’m not sure. Either way, it’s a Christmas miracle and I can’t wait!!

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Okay.

I found out about this documentary on Facebook yesterday. I haven’t had time to watch the whole thing yet, but here it is!

From Melbourne’s The Culture Archivist:

The wild Melbourne world that created Nick Cave (36 mins):

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And speaking of Nick Cave…

Nick Cave Official and The Red Hand Files posted this on Instagram yesterday!!

Something important is going to be announced on Friday, November 6th!!

I think common sense tells us, Nick Cave is going to announce that he’s started smoking again!!! Yay!!!

But, maybe — it’ll be something like a book coming out, with a collection of the greatest Red Hand Files??

Or maybe — Nick is taking the Red Hand Files on tour???!!! And people can ask him questions again, like they did during that fantastic In Conversation tour he did all over the world about 7 years ago??

Obviously, I don’t know but we will find out on Friday!!

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And here’s a couple from Warren Ellis, on tour right now with the Dirty Three!!

And I loved the expressions on everyone’s faces here!!! In Oslo, last night–

And here’s this, because I immediately thought of it!! Paul Simon’s classic “Mother & Child Reunion”, from 1971!!

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Okay.

And here’s this!!

From Facebook!!

Beautiful!!

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And that’s all I’ve got for now!

I’ll be heading out to the store here soon. We are only open for 3 hours on Saturdays, so I’ll probably be right back home before I know it. Plus, I’ll be spending those 3 hours today working with my favorite Q-following girlfriend! So I’m guessing those 3 hours will fly…

We shall see.

However, this means that I don’t get to join in on the live Zoom with James Tabor and the Tabor Research Group today. It’s the first live Zoom since our conference last month in North Carolina. Plus, James will be joining us from Israel, where he is currently staying with Simcha Jacobovici –another one of my favorite people!! — at Simcha’s house.

I will have to watch the replay, but I wish I could be there, live.

But tomorrow!! It’s my favorite day of the year — we turn those clocks back one hour, yay!! And I get one hour of my fleeting life back!!

Meanwhile.

Enjoy your Saturday (and Halloween, if you celebrate it) wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!!

A few days ago, Alex S. Johnson interviewed British metal singer Aaron Stainthorpe!

Aaron Stainthorpe (Ex-MY DYING BRIDE; HIGH PARASITE; TOWARDS THE SINISTER). THE KANDY FONTAINE SHOW (1 hr 28 mins). Enjoy, gang!!

Maybe A Quiet One Today?

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Well, yesterday was not exactly what I was expecting.

First off — after going through the entire Spring and Summer around here without ANY cats — indoors or outside — getting fleas…

Yesterday, it became apparent that, on the final days of October, for chrissakes — all the INDOOR cats had become infested.

So … $200 later.

But I caught it in time. It hadn’t taken over the house, or anything. But I did have to drop everything and drive an hour to town and back, and visit 3 different stores to get enough flea meds for all the cats. Since it’s the end of flea season, the stores weren’t exactly stocked anymore. But I eventually found what I needed and now it is done.

Too bad a house full of rescued cats isn’t actually like this…

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Before that, though —

I did make some good progress on the flash fiction piece for the Bill Burroughs anthology. And I at least have an idea of how it will end. Still don’t know how the story will get to the ending but I have about 450 words left to achieve it.

But I was happily working away on it, when suddenly–

I got a text from the investigative journalist again — more questions regarding the photographer RC Horsch, a colleague of mine from over 25 years ago that I had ceased all communications with back in 2001 because I found him very disturbing.

(I noticed that RC Horsch’s Wikipedia page has been very recently updated: “…an American erotic photographer, pornographic filmmaker, convicted criminal and suspected serial killer….”)

Anyway. The journalist asked me if I would be willing to be interviewed on camera. Back in September, I had only agreed to be interviewed through texting, although I agreed that he could use my name.

Well, Part 1 of his investigation is on YouTube now, so I stopped what I was doing and watched it (29 minutes). I felt that, while it is disturbing, obviously, it was not distastefully presented or sensationalized.

So I agreed to do the interview on camera for Part 2. It will happen Sunday afternoon.

Here is Part 1 if you want to watch it. It does not show anything explicit or gorey.

The Fall of the House of Horsch Film | RC Horsch & His Son The Early Years (29 mins):

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I was quietly relieved, though, to find that I was no longer feeling that horrible paranoia that I’d been feeling toward the end of the summer. I was able to handle watching the video just fine.

My life, overall, has definitely moved into a more emotionally secure place — mostly because I’m back in the world among people and working. Not just living alone in my head.

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Okay!

Yesterday, Brown Hound Press posted a new short story– very well written, in my opinion.

“Sound Privacy” by Nicholas Bacci Siegel

You can read it HERE, free.

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Oh, and my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn never did call yesterday…

So yesterday was just nothing like what I was expecting.

And since I was sort of “occupied” all day and into the evening, I don’t have hardly any “here’s this’s'”.

But here’s this–

I don’t really know the details, but Warren Ellis posted this from Oslo this morning:

And it was posted along with this song — Johnny Thunders, “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory” (1978):

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And here’s this!!

The B52s got their star unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday!!

From Fred Schneider:

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And from Facebook!!

And speaking of Nick Cave–

He sent out a new Red Hand File about 3 seconds ago…

A reader wrote in and asked Nick how he had spent his time off from the Red Hand Files. And Nick revealed, in part:

“…I spent the time happily sculpting, firing, and glazing – no distractions, no internet, no phones, no music, no podcasts. Just clay. I fashioned little worlds by hand, devilish things, swept along on that preternatural current where form waits to be found. I felt the world’s anxieties drain away – how quickly they retreated – until I came upon something essential, the spirit freed from the dross, the imagination stripped clean to something pure and wide, and lovely….”

This is a sample from his brand new ceramics collection — the second in his series about The Devil — The Devil in the Afterlife:

THE DEVIL IN HELL (FOR THE FIRST TIME) from THE DEVIL IN THE AFTERLIFE by NICK CAVE, 2026

You can read the new Red Hand File in full, HERE.

PHOTO BY LYNETTE GARLAND

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And that is it for now.

I gotta get ready to head to work.

Enjoy your Friday-before-Halloween (if you celebrate it), wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this.

From my drive to and from town yesterday for the cats’ flea meds…

I played this on repeat, loud. And thought a good deal about RC Horsch, and my early career and where it’s led me, and I let the song transport me away from all of it for awhile.

Barry Manilow, “I Write the Songs”. 1975. Enjoy, gang.

Getting Social Around Here!

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Okay!!

So, not only do we have a group lunch coming up in early November — with my co-workers at the health & wellness store (including the woman who runs the store).

But on Monday, I’m having lunch with my dear pals Wendy and Kara, to celebrate Wendy’s birthday!!

The 3 of us have not had time to get together for lunch since Christmas. I’m really looking forward to it.

We’re going here !!

So, the main reason I returned to the working world was to be around people again. And it is already a complete success.

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I’m getting a late start here on the blog today because it was “Pay the Bills” day today!!

So the bills are paid — and I have to say, I am managing the expense of the recent trip to Charlotte , NC, and that fantastic hotel, just fine.

Yay!!

Oh, and Sandra texted at 7:15AM and asked if I was up and having coffee yet (I of course was!!), so we had our chat on the phone first thing this morning.

I am still aiming to be in NYC for her Birthday Cabaret the 3rd week of January…

And at some point today, I’m supposed to catch up with my best friend Valerie in Brooklyn!! Yay!!

For some reason, I’m a lot older when I chat with Valerie…

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And then somewhere here today, I’ll be working some more on the flash fiction piece for the Bill Burroughs tribute anthology…

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Okay!

It’s that time again!!

Erica Verrillo’s fantastic monthly free newsletter for writers is out:

73 Calls for Submissions in November 2026 – Paying markets!

“This November there are more than six dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As always, every genre, style, and form is wanted, from short stories to poetry to essays.”

Visit HERE. And sign up for her FREE newsletter, while you’re at it!!

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Meanwhile….

Due to the time difference between here and Europe, and my overall schedule–

I’m falling behind in The Dirty Three’s European Tour!!

Posted by Warren Ellis after their tour-opening show in Vicenza, Italy!!

And here’s Warren Elvis, oops, ELLIS, during their show in Geneva last night!!

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Speaking of Elvis….

Here’s Johnny Cash!!

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And speaking of Johnny Cash….

Dwight Yoakam is still on tour!! You can buy tickets HERE!

And in the event you need some Guitars, Cadillacs, and Hillbilly Music RIGHT NOW—

And I have to say, yet again, that experiencing Dwight Yoakam singing this very song live at The Ritz in NYC in the 1980s — it was absolutely unbelievable, gang. Truly one of the highlights of my already indescribably insane life.

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Okay!

Here’s this!!

I might have posted it here before, but you can’t beat a photo of Keith smoking while he’s on fire, can you, gang??!


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And here’s this great song, just for the hell of it!!

Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” from his huge hit album, Born in the USA (1984):

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From Phyllis Stein.

The New York Dolls in London, 1973.

Photographer Ian Dickson passed away recently–

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And here’s this!!

From Facebook!!

Nick Cave looking very, very Nick Cave-y!! In color!! Yay!!

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And I guess that is it, gang.

I gotta get focused here and get some writing done before the day flies away from me and I’m yakking merrily on the phone with Valerie.

Enjoy your Thursday, wherever you are in the world!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this today!!

This came up in my YouTube stream!

I used to LOVE this song, as a wee bonny teenaged lass. I played this record a lot (on her Greatest Hits album) when I was very very very briefly away at college in 1978… Luckily my 3 other roommates liked Joan Baez, too.

(And if you were ever a stranger that I’ve been in love with, well, then this one’s for you and you know who you are!!)

Joan Baez, 1972. “Love Song To A Stranger”. Enjoy, gang.

“Love Song To A Stranger”

How long since I’ve spent a whole night in a twin bed with a stranger
His warm arms all around me?
How long since I’ve gazed into dark eyes that melted my soul down
To a place where it longs to be?
All of your history has little to do with your face
You’re mainly a mystery with violins filling in space

You stood in the nude by the mirror and picked out a rose
From the bouquet in our hotel
And lay down beside me again and I watched the rose
On the pillow as it fell
I sank and I slept in a twilight with only one care
To know that when day broke and I woke that you’d still be there
You’d still be there

The hours for once they passed slowly, unendingly by
Like a sweet breeze on a field
Your gentleness came down upon me and I guess I thanked you
When you caused me to yield
We spoke not a sentence and took not a footstep beyond
Our two days together which seemingly soon would be gone
Soon would be gone

Don’t tell me of love everlasting and other sad dreams
I don’t want to hear
Just tell me of passionate strangers who rescue each other
From a lifetime of cares
‘Cause if love means forever, expecting nothing returned
Then I hope I’ll be given another whole lifetime to learn

‘Cause you gave to me, oh, so many things, it makes me wonder
How they could belong to me
And I gave you only my dark eyes which melted your soul down
To a place where it longs to be

c – 1972 Joan Baez

A Happy Tuesday in the Hinterlands!

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Okay!

I am here.

It’s been an active morning here so far!!

I slept great. Absolutely, totally great.

Then got out of bed at 5:30AM to discover that one of the cats had thrown up on one of the upstairs bathroom rugs. Oh well.

And another cat (the truly beautiful Cuddles McGee) was in the process of peeing on a throw rug in the hallway.

So one load of laundry got immediately underway! And I only got a tiny little bit pissed off…

Then in the downstairs bathroom, off the laundry room, I discovered that the cats had managed to get into the cupboard under the bathroom sink and had shredded THREE brand new rolls of paper towels.

Shredded bits of paper were all over the floor and I had to drop everything and sweep it up.

At this point, it was about 5:43AM.

I only got a tiny little bit more pissed off — if you count hollering, “You FUCKERS!!!” as being a tiny little bit more pissed off…

However.

I was able to easily switch gears when I took the shredded paper towel rolls out to the trash bin beside the kitchen porch, and there sat my beautiful Kon Tiki of the Great Outdoors, on the porch in the dark, and she went trotting into the kitchen to join us for breakfast.

Yay.

And so then we got breakfast underway!!

I made a really big breakfast for myself this morning, because I’ve been missing being in that hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, a few weeks ago — and, NO!, not because my cats weren’t there, but because the hotel had that great breakfast buffet every morning!

So, since I have today off, I decided to make a big breakfast and I’m really glad I did. It really, really shifted my mood back to being in a happy place!!

Okay!

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Today, I’m mostly going to begin working on the flash fiction piece for the William S. Burroughs anthology.

I have an overall feeling about what I want to write, but I’m not sure, yet, how I will put it down on paper. So we shall see how it goes!! I still have about 2 weeks to nail it and send it in.

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If you are a taxpaying US citizen and either have an IRA or need help starting an affordable one (retirement account), go to TrumpIRA.gov and sign up for info, if you haven’t already. (You might have already received a letter from the IRS about doing this.)

The government will be making up to $1000 contributions to our retirement accounts, annually, beginning in 2027, so be sure to sign up!!

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Okay.

Sadly, this happened on this day in 2013–

And, no, I’m not going to post this song here again, because I’ve already posted it here a million times….

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And here’s this–

Speaking of Bill Burroughs!! Here he is with philosopher and former Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain — Oops! excuse me — the artist, Francis Bacon!

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And here’s this!

Keith!! Holding a pair of shades! And a half-empty or half-full bottle of Jack Daniels!! (Photo perhaps taken by my little Jewish, Jack-Daniels-drinking school friend, Karen, back in 1972?? Not sure…)

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And here’s this!!

From the show in Milan last night!!!

Warren Ellis!! Plus one of the cutest pups ever!!

And here’s this while we’re at it!! “Cherry Bomb,” by the legendary Runaways, 1976!!

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And from Facebook!!

Here’s this!

Nick Cave, smoking!! Singing! Maybe even sweating a little??!!

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And that is it for today!!

And since it’s Tuesday, it means I get to watch a new episode of Season 2 of “Ludwig” on Britbox during dinner tonight!! Yay!

Meanwhile, have a terrific Tuesday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!!

Burroughs on Kerouac (1 min). Just beautiful:

Monday, change of plans!

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My new schedule (Tuesdays, Weds., and Fridays) at the health & wellness store won’t start until next week. A co-worker needed me to work for her today, so I’m heading into town soon.

But I don’t mind at all. In fact, I’m curious how I’m gonna handle the new schedule — having 3 days off in a row — because I can barely handle having 2 days off in a row. I just go nutty when I’m all alone out here with no one to talk to…

Anyway!

I took this photo just now!!

The sun is coming up in the east, but you can still see the full moon through the trees in the west (across the road from my kitchen porch):

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Okay, remember how I recently posted that I was really liking the book, The Beat Hotel?

I’m about halfway through it now, and I’m basically forcing myself to keep reading it.

I realize the Beats were sort of, well, “dysfunctional” (?!), but it’s like the author doesn’t have a sane thing to attribute to any of them. Especially Jack Kerouac.

I also realize the author is presenting “the facts” as he sees them, but I’ve read so many books — especially letters, that these guys wrote to each other in the 1950s — and you get a whole different feel about what the men were going through, how they were experiencing each other and their lives, when it’s simply in their own words. Not filtered through someone else.

This book makes them all seem just fucking crazy. I don’t know if I’ll finish it, but I’m trying to.

And this book — the new memoir by Legs McNeil:

What can I say, these punks ARE all fucking crazy!! But mostly in a really joyful way. So I’m definitely sticking with that one for sure.

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But I think that reading The Beat Hotel before going to sleep last night was a mistake, because I just felt really angry. And sad. And frustrated with how these men’s lives were coming across.

However, by 3 in the morning, I awoke thinking about what Nick Cave had written in his Red Hand Files the other day, about Transcendental Meditation — I do meditate, daily, and have done it regularly since 2008 (and I guarantee you, it has kept me from committing suicide), but I’ve never done TM.

But suddenly, at 3 AM, John Lennon’s TM mantra was going over and over and over — and over — in my head. Until 4:30!! It was sort of incredible, gang.

I was drifting in and out of sleep, but the mantra kept going.

If you don’t know what John Lennon’s TM mantra was, it was famously part of the song, “Across the Universe”. His mantra was “jai guru deva om”.


“Across The Universe”

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow waves of joy are drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me

Jai guru deva om
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes
They call me on and on across the universe
Thoughts meander like a restless wind
Inside a letter box they
Tumble blindly as they make their way
Across the universe

Jai guru deva om
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world

Sounds of laughter shades of life are ringing
Through my open ears inciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns
And calls me on and on across the universe

Jai guru deva om
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Nothing’s gonna change my world

Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva…

c -1970 Lennon/McCartney

I found that really interesting. How it popped up in my head like that. And it did seem to help.

I think I will make a specific effort, when I get stressed out again (every 14 seconds, basically), to go into Lennon’s mantra and see what happens.

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Okay!

I don’t have many “here’s this’s” today, but–

Here’s this!!

Keith, in LA, on the Stones’ US tour of 1975!

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And how about this??!!

Johnny Cash in 1961 !!

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Warren Ellis plays the solo show tonight in Milan!!

He has at least one shoe already on!!

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And The Birthday Party, perhaps in Paris? But just because this is in French, doesn’t necessarily mean they were in France… I don’t know!

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And you know how some days I can barely find one photo of Nick Cave to post here?

Well, not today!! So take your pick!! Smoking. Not smoking. Great hair throughout!!

From facebook!

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And I guess that is going to be it for today, because I gotta scoot and get to town!!

I hope you enjoy your Monday, wherever you are in the world, gang!

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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And let’s close with this!

George Harrison, singing his famous mantra!!

“Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare“

“My Sweet Lord”

My sweet Lord
Hm, my Lord
Hm, my Lord

I really want to see you
Really want to be with you
Really want to see you Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord

My sweet Lord
Hm, my Lord
Hm, my Lord

I really want to know you
Really want to go with you
Really want to show you Lord
That it won’t take long, my Lord (Hallelujah)

My sweet Lord (Hallelujah)
Hm, my Lord (Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord (Hallelujah)

I really want to see you
Really want to see you
Really want to see you, Lord
Really want to see you, Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord (Hallelujah)

My sweet Lord (Hallelujah)
Hm, my Lord (Hallelujah)
My, my, my Lord (Hallelujah)

I really want to know you (Hallelujah)
Really want to go with you (Hallelujah)
Really want to show you Lord (ahh)
That it won’t take long, my Lord (Hallelujah)

Hmm (Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord (Hallelujah)
My, my, Lord (Hallelujah)

Hm, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
Oh hm, my sweet Lord (Krishna, Krishna)
Oh-uuh-uh (Hare Hare)

Now, I really want to see you (Hare Rama)
Really want to be with you (Hare Rama)
Really want to see you Lord (ahh)
But it takes so long, my Lord (Hallelujah)

Hm, my Lord (Hallelujah)
My, my, my Lord (Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord (Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna)
My Lord (Hare Hare)
Hm, hm (Guru Brahma)
Hm, hm (Guru Vishnu)
Hm, hm (Guru Devo)
Hm, hm (Maheśvaraḥ
My sweet Lord (Guru Sākṣāt)
My sweet Lord (Para Brahma)
My, my, my Lord (Tasmai Srī)
My, my, my, my Lord (Guru Namah)
My sweet Lord (Hare Rama)

[fade:]

(Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord (Hare Krishna)
My sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna)
My Lord (Hare Hare)

c – 1970 George Harrison

How things are feeling around here!!

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Well, sort of.

I am glad I finished the editing of the M. Christian tribute anthology, but I am still feeling those little stragglers of depression and loss.

For instance, Bill Brent, who had been a very close colleague and friend of both M. Christian and myself (and countless others), came to live with me here in Ohio for awhile, after he’d broken up with a long-time significant other in Hawaii.

Bill was not easy to live with at that point in his life — his topics of conversation included his detailed thoughts about how to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco without getting rescued…

After he left Ohio, leaving all his possessions “temporarily” stored in my basement, he moved back to San Francisco…

And jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.

Without getting rescued.

That was back in 2012.

Of course, for me, Bill’s spirit is all over M. Christian’s tribute anthology…along with the loss of so many others from my world.

But I am trying to shift my focus. And shift my focus. And shift my focus.

I’m hoping that once I send the manuscript over to my publisher and have her focus on it for awhile, it will sort of get my mind off of all the loss, and I can truly move forward toward focusing on new stuff.

We’re gonna find out, because I’m gonna hit “SEND” as soon as I’m done posting to the blog today.

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Well, here’s some stuff!

Keith’s birthday wishes to Bill Wyman yesterday:

And here’s some birthday wishes from the gallery in London where Bill’s photos are currently on display:

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And I thought this was quite interesting!!

It was taken only THREE DAYS AGO, and Keith is clearly smoking… (so much for quitting!) (But my guess is that he’s still gonna live longer than any of us!!)

And here’s Keith again!!

Smoking!! And playing a guitar!! In mostly black, a little white…

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Speaking of guitar heroes…

Here’s something that has me sort of spellbound, gang.

The producer/narrator who is working on the audiobook edition of my novel, The Guitar Hero Goes Home, sent me over an update, an audio file, yesterday and he is doing such a fantastic job.

If you are unfamiliar with that novel — it is told from the POV of a famous (fictional) guitar hero at the very end of his life. (In fact, in my opinion, he is already dead while he’s telling the story of his life, but I leave it up to the reader to decide.)

He has no name in the book, and the entire book is being told by him to the new love in his life — and she is never named. Never speaks. Nothing. It’s only him, throughout.

When this novel “came to me” in 2019, it was literally as if it were being dictated to me by a guy in my head. A voice. I typed out what he “told me”. His whole life story. (You can read a sample here on the blog.)

I loved this novel. And every publisher I sent it to declined it. I finally published it myself, and I still love this book, gang.

Well, yesterday, listening to the new audio file — wow. It was like I was finally really hearing the guy who had spoken to me in my head all those years ago. It felt incredible, listening to it. I even got chills a couple times. “This is the guy!”, you know?

I won’t be publishing the audiobook until early 2027, but I can’t wait.

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From James Tabor — he sent out this video to us this morning. It’s from a couple years ago, but it is really good.

Paul within His Hellenistic World: Understanding Cosmic Salvation (1hr 30 mins):

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And later this afternoon, Ross K. Nichols is having a private Zoom discussion with the Yachad. I can’t post details about it yet, but it should be really interesting!!

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And in other very interesting developments — I’ve been invited to contribute a flash fiction piece honoring William S. Burroughs, for an anthology edited by Alex S. Johnson. (Tight deadline.)

Ideas are already flowing into my brain, so here’s hoping it will hit the page quickly and in a good way. We shall soon see!!

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Meanwhile….

From Facebook.

I do not think this day sucks in ANY way, however, I loved this photo!!

So here it is!!

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And that is it for now.

I’m gonna get the manuscript off to my publisher, and then maybe take a little walk and clear my brain.

It is another stunning fall day out there today.

Enjoy your Sunday, wherever you are in the world, gang.

Thanks for visiting.

I love you guys. See ya!

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Let’s close with this!!

That TV show from Japan that I really loved is back on Netlfix!! With episodes I haven’t seen yet!!

I watched it last night. I’m so glad it’s back. (Between that, and new episodes of “Ludwig” on Britbox, and reruns of “Mrs. Brown’s Boys”– again!!!! I’m doing all right, TV-wise.)

“Midnight Diner”. Recap. Enjoy, gang.