Ain't paid my dues blues

I've been playing guitar since before I was born

I've been playing guitar since before I was born

I sing with a voice like the birds in the morn

Last night I had a dream as I slept:

All the great bluesmen (and women, it's true)

Came to hear me play, in a golden venue

yeah, they came to hear me play

After the set they all sat so still and so quiet

when what I wanted was to see them all riot

Up on the stage came Bo Diddley and Stevie Ray

and dozens of others all lead by Rob Johnson.

Oh yeah, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson.

(Talk about your little slice of heaven!)

Lightnin' Hopkins was chosen to speak

He laid his hand on my shoulder and looked in my eye

"Son your playin' is right out of sight,

but should better be done where good folk can't hear.

Your voice reminds us of dreams in our sleep

where we'd wake up screamin' and startin' to weep"

"None of that matters, though, when singing the blues.

The problem, here, is; you haven't paid dues"

Listen, young man, you haven't paid dues!"

Your wife still loves you after thirty long years

Your kids are still healthy and haven't seen jail

You've a job, a car, and satellite TV

And lookie here son, your dog's a hundred and three!"

(damn, a hundred and three!)

Your car's not in the shop

You own your own home

You haven't got issues over which to grind axes

Hell your worst problem, son, is paying back taxes!

"None of that matters, though, when singing the blues.

The problem, here, is; you haven't paid dues"

Listen, young man, you haven't paid dues!"

They left me all alone on that stage.

Hours of unplayed music, page after page

with a brand new refrain roaring in my head

The problem, here, is; you ain't paid dues"

Listen, young man, you ain't paid dues!"

I've got the unpaid dues blues.

Yeah, I'm singing the unpaid dues blues

Originally Posted June 6 2012 to FB

Thoughts strike you at the strangest times. Or they don't. Life's funny that way. As i travel, it's sometimes frightening to see all the times that thoughts aren't striking people. Usually this results in them NEEDing to be struck with a clue-by-four, or even a baseball bat.

Just today, for instance, I observed an individual driving in the left lane of a multi-lane highway who suddenly decided "ohmygodthisismyexit" and without looking, swept across three lanes of traffic into the painted median at the end of the exit lane ) where the lane actually physically separates from the rest of the highway, just to be clear(. 

Once there, he got half way onto the actual deceleration lane when he decided "oh. Wrong exit." whereupon he tried to re-enter the flow of traffic still on the highway, which passing him at 65mph. Unfortunately, there was a big, black truck, driven by a big, angry-red, ANNOYED trucker in the way.

Since the driver didn't actually come to a stop (unlike the truck driver), things kept happening to him. Like, oh.. road signs, litter, and a curb.

I may have to clean up the gear that flew all over the inside of my cab, but he gets to explain to his insurance company why the front of his pickup is such a mess.

Now, I told you that story so I could tell you this one.

Ok, I just wanted to steal that like from Arlo Guthrie. I like it.

But I did want to use that example to suggest that there is something seriously wrong with our educational system.

I know, I know. You've heard me start on this before. I think, though, I've taken it farther than most. It's not a matter of teacher:student ratios, or money, or (mostly) books.

It's more basic. Look at what we colloquially call primary education: "The Three R's"

Yeah. Reading, Writing, and Arithmatic. Ok, there ARE three r's in there. But it's pretty darn easy to see what's messing up our yougsters. Oh, sure, we try to pass it off as a bit of a play,insisting the three R's refer to "Reading "Riting, and 'Rithmatic". 

Most kids I know aren't dumb enough to swallow that one.

I suggest we completely revamp the system. Sure, still teach the Three R's. But get it right, for a change.

Three R's: Red. Right. Returning

No place like the world's waterways to teach a person that actions have consequences

Originally posted Jan 6, 2012 on FB

Some days..
Last night, in southern Ohio, I received an official - verbal - request from the Ohio State Troopers. 

It all started with Beethoven's 9th. The 9th is, arguably, the head-bangingest piece of music ever written.. so, I was scooting down the highway.. um.. head banging.

I admit, I was not paying close attention to my driving (late, no traffic..) So, of course, my heart fled the scene when those pretty blue lights popped on behind me. 

Sitting there like a deer in the headlights of a 757, I greeted the officer with the usual "Good evening, officer" all the while, thinking "oh shit"

He looked at me with a kind of.. well..bemused expression on his face. "I'm just making sure you're ok. I saw you when you passed and..well, you were flailing around in the cab. A lot. It caused me some concern."

...
pregnant pause
...

I completely lost it. It took me minutes to control my laughing to the point where I could explain to the poor man what was going on. Hence the official request:

Please, no headbanging while driving.

This morning, my ribs STILL hurt.

Voting with my feet

I can't say I'm disenchanted.  After all, that explicitly states that I was enchanted to begin with, and, sadly, such is not the case.  I have never really liked Facebook, but I put up with it as it was the easiest way to maintain contact with friends and family.

Ok, it did that pretty well.  What's driven me over the edge is simply the way and direction Facebook is changing.  More and more commercial crap, and it's harder and harder to control my own content.  So, while it's their right to do what they like with their site and software, it's my right to do something about it.

To wit, I am resurrecting my blog here at Surly Hermit.

And, because I'm obsessive, I'm going to be doing my best to bring my photos and posts over here, too.  Obviously, this means that there is going to be some repetition.  For this, I apologise, but you should all be used to it- it is the campaign season, after all.  You should be completely numb to meaningless repetition... and, to be honest, pretty meaningless content.

Take that as you will.

Written 11 Oct 2012, Weatherford, TX