Also, in case you haven’t heard already, Etta James passed away last week.

I can’t claim to be her biggest fan, but MAN – what pipes. Every run an executed skill instead of a flashy affectation. I pray Ms.James will find immortality, and that people sing her praises long after the stomach-churning bullshit Ke$has of the world are forgotten.

Maybe when my own time comes, I’ll meet Ms.James in a club. I’ll have a Scotch, slightly pressed, and just…listen.

Anyway…feelin a bit blue. But you know what that means:

MOTOWN!

Is it possible to play Stevie Wonder quietly?

Have a great weekend all, wherever you are.

This one’s inspirational to me in a certain way. The Beastie Boys did pretty good for themselves, despite starting with this kind of music…ergo, I can suck at things too, but I can always hope things will turn out if I just stick to it.

My writing comes to mind. Hell, a LOT of things come to mind.

So keep at it folks!  And have a great weekend.

Ever feel like you’re standing in wreckage but still looking forward? This gem makes me feel exactly that way.

The Odds are soooo 90′s…but I love ‘em.

What are your feel good tunes / bands from the 90′s? Drop ‘em in the comments, as I could use some pick-me-ups…feelin a little down and under the weather today. My brain feels like an over-microwaved hotdog.

Have a great weekend my friends. Stay healthy and do your best to keep your cars out of the ditches.

Pax

It’s been one helluva a year, don’t you think?  I, for one, am quite happy to put 2011 behind me, and I hope 2012 brings happiness and good fortune to us all…especially you.

What say we start the New Year with a bang?  Here’s a “Five Finger Death Punch” right in the face.

(Ooops, sorry about your glasses…ice pack is in the freezer. And thanks to Neo and my Viking Buddy for making me listen to this band.)

Crank it up this year, my friends! Literally and metaphorically. May 2012 be the greatest year of your life and may each year that follows be better than the last.

See you in 2012!

For me it was golf. My Dad had the last laugh though, as he won the last round we played before he passed on. (Aside, it was rather heartbreaking to clean out his golf bag after the funeral and find the score card he kept of that round.)

My oldest son has been better than me at most things game-related for some time, but every once in a while he likes to “take a poke at me”.

A few years ago he was on the school wrestling team and thought he could put me down. He was fast, I’ll admit. He shot around my legs and torso like a maniac squirrel  and he actually managed to get a good hold. I’m pretty sure he was thinking “HOLY SHIT! I GOT HIM! I GOT HIM!”, but tragically, I “Hulked out” (his words), picked him up and stuffed him down on the floor and folded him up like skinny oragami. He wasn’t happy. He trash-talked me, I laughed at him, and he slunk away.

But I knew the day was coming.

Last night and a few years older now, he starts goofing around with a toy knife and he makes to stab me with it. Mind you, we were just playing and not going too fast, but I think he was surprised when I disarmed him and twisted his arm up like a pipe-cleaner. I smiled and let him go, and he shot for my hips.

Nuthin doin.

He trash-talked me, I scoffed, and we wandered off.

I still know the day is coming, son…

But not yet.

Not. Yet.

Remember this one from last year?

I love it. It makes my heart soar and it makes me truly glad to be alive and to be human.

Pure Christmas Joy.

My friend, may you find true Joy in your own heart this weekend, and all the days that follow.

Thank-you for spending time with me on this humble little blog.

Pax.

And Merry Christmas.

Today’s Gem is a little Christmas pick-me-up from the King. Turn it up and pour the eggnog!

Also?  I found what I’d like for Christmas. Call me weird.

Have a great weekend all!  Say a prayer for the soundness of my mind, body, and soul as I venture forth into the Christmas shopping fray.

Today’s gem actually belongs in Cenobyte‘s collection, but I stole it while she was looking at steampunk motorcycles.

It really is awesome…and NSFW. That being said, it deserves to be played very loudly. Do it.

Trust me.

Have a great weekend, one and all. My staff Christmas party is tonight, so I suspect my weekend will be…interesting.

While eating an apple (Newtonian, I believe), Clown the Youngest suddenly started looking a little forlorn. He turned to us all and stated loudly, “I miss Pluto.”

“You miss Pluto?” I asked. “Why do you miss Pluto?”

” ‘Cuz it’s far away from me, and it’s cold, and it’s really small, and it used to be a planet but now it’s not.”

My four year old knows Pluto has been downgraded to Planetoid status?  And it bothers him?

Now that I think about it…I kinda miss Pluto as well. Things seemed a lot simpler back when Pluto was a planet, didn’t they?  Much like the world’s gone to Hell in a hand-basket since David Lee Roth left Van Halen?

Yeah – Christmas rush is starting at my desk and home, and I’m tentatively feeling my way around Google+, so not a lot of time to write things lately. Apologies.

If you’re driving anywhere near the Hillside today, you might find today’s gem somewhat amusing.

While definitely not one of my “go-to” groups, I have deep respect for Simon & Garfunkel. You should have some too.

Stay steady and on your pins this weekend! I get to go on a horse-drawn sleigh ride tomorrow with my family, and about 10, Grade 1 girls. I don’t expect fist-fights and farting like I got with one of Elder Clown’s earlier birthdays…but you never know. My Middlin Clown can be pretty random sometimes.