egads

A friend of mine is starring in a controversial movie coming out early next year. I keep hearing entire radio programs discussing it, and seeing articles saying how anti-semetic the script and director are. Give me a break, it's a goddamn movie.

I'm not a religious person, a little spiritual, but I don't follow any set belief system. I think it's fine and dandy if others do (as long as they aren't extremists) and have many friends that have their religions as the core part of who they are.

My friend in the movie is a devout Roman Catholic. He's a great guy, I love him to death, and he doesn't have a hatefull bone in his body. He has many Jewish friends, and I can see it pains him to be labelled as anti-semetic. It's a shame that people have accused the film of being as such without having seen it for themselves. I haven't seen it, so I reserve any thoughts on what it may or not portray until I do see it come Easter.

My friend knows I'm not religious even though we met in high school, which was a private catholic school up in Seattle. He knows I don't share his beliefs, and he has never once tried to "save me" or preach his beliefs to me. We've had many wonderfull conversations, most of which I've initiated, about religion but never once has it been more than that: a conversation.

So when I read or hear all the ignorant masses claiming the film is this or that I am just amazed by the audacity of these people. Especially the liberal left. It's called free speech for a reason. I have every right to say what I want, wether it be about the injustices done by the current administration or how I love to eat chicken and fish. I get to say it, and it bears more weight if I have an informed opinion. Yes, they have a right to slam Mel Gibson for portraying his view of the "truth" of Jesus' last hours on earth, but to make claims without being informed or viewing what he and my friend have made shows me that these opinions are shallow and hollow bluster.

I think this is why I listen to and appreciate Dennis Prager so much. Here is an obviosuly learned man, opening his radio program with, in all sincerity, a christmas carol. Not taking a day off for the holidays, talking with his listeners and educating them about the differences between moral right and wrong as compared to the lawfull and societal interpretations. He, as far as I've heard, has not condemned the film. Did I mention Dennis Prager is Jewish? Practicing? Observant? Fine, fine man. He's on AM 870 at 9 in the mornings here in LA, give him a listen.

My ex Kristina got me hooked on him, another thing Ihave to remember to thank her for.

Anyways, I've rambled enough. I just wanted to say that people should keep an open mind and make informed decisions instead of following the herd.

This morning sucked

My fever came back full force for a bit. My digital thermometer reached 103.7 a few times yesterday, but I came back down to a balmy 98.6 by midnight or so.

I went to go check on my cats' water and food around four this
morning.
Filled up the food dish, water was fine...
Alley came scampering into the kitchen as usual.
Hey, where's Grommet?

I look around the house for him for a good half an hour, finally finding him
under the living room's corner coffee table.
I reach in and drag him out, expecting him to flop around in my arms as I
give him some lovin's.
He mews like he did a few weeks ago so I set him down and he couldn't stand
up.

Fuck.

So I pet him and coo to him for awhile, worried sick that something awful
happened to him while I was bed-ridden the last few days.
I take a bath around 5:30, then head over to the Tarzana Medical Center to
get checked out by the nice doctors they have set up for the flu epidemic.

I wait with a crowded waiting room for about an hour and a half, calling Dr.
Grasmehr's office at 8:00 to see if she can see Grommet today. She can see
him at 9:15, after I explain that he had been doing better but I have been
out of commision and don't know when he relapsed.

The nice nurse finally sees me and says "Yup, you have the flu. No vaccine
for you, should have gotten the flu shot last month".
She gives me an antibiotic, one of the two they prescribe that doesn't have
complications with my other ailments, and scoots me out the door because there are
sick kids in need.

I take Grommet to Dr. Grasmehr around 9 and she sees us right away. Here's
where it gets weird.

Last time she saw him his RIGHT knee was the funky one. This time it's his
LEFT. She and the cool guy assistant (forgot his name AGAIN), stretch, poke,
bend, and prod Grommet for about 5 minutes. Grommet lays there without a
fuss. God I love that cat. Anyway, he has a ligament going from his knee to
his hip that's way tensed up, and his kneecap is shifting. No idea why. I
ask if it may be from overcompensating for when his other leg was weak last
month. Dr. Grasmehr says she wouldn't be surprised, but for now we'll put
him on a stronger anti-inflammatory and take x-rays next week.

So now I'm home, worried about my cat, feeling loopy from the antibiotics,
tired as all get out, and burpy from the Naked Protein drink I just guzzled
because I haven't eaten since the ramen I half kept down last night.

At least my fever is still gone.

My neck hurts

Somebody come over and give me a neck rub. Not a massage where you give a few cursory squeezes and try to feel me up, then puss out saying "my hands hurt now". I need some deep tissue loving.

Since I've had the flu I've been either sleeping, sitting in my comfy chair checking everybody's profiles and looking at their dirty dirty pictures, laying in bed reading and\or watching tv, or sitting in the bath. I've been outside twice in the past week, and that was just to give a friend a ride to work and stop off at the market to buy more Nyquil. I'm usually pretty active, so this sedentary lifestyle foisted upon me has completely ruined me. I have aches and pains from being sick, sure, but my neck is mostly hurting from reading in bed.

Most of my friends know I'm an avid reader. Which reminds me... I need to get my Phillip K. Dick book back from Viktor Vektor in exchange for his that I borrowed. So anyways, in the past week I've read 6 books, including the new McAffrey one "Dragon's Kin" which came out Tuesday. I got it at 10 AM Tuesday and finished it around 6 that night. I then read "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman, and I read half of "The Elder Gods" by David and Leigh Eddings.

Enough of my geek book reading and back to the subject: my goddamn neck.

Does anybody know a good masseuse that makes housecalls or personally wants to come over and knead the knots out before I break the damn thing out of spite? I can't afford much, but I can draw you a pretty picture if you do. Just don't try to take advantage of my feeble state because I have two cats that are very protective that will rip your throat out if you get out of line.

Unless you're hot of course.

How low can you go?

I've been playing my bass a bit lately. I hadn't picked up the five string for a good month but figured that if I spent the time, energy, and money on switching it to an active pickup I should really actually play the damn thing. It's a beautiful instrument and the action is just right for me, nice and low but still "bouncy". It's a black MusicMan with matching headstock and pickguard. I was going to switch out to a mirrored pickguard, but I have no plans to ever play in front of anybody to impress.
It's not an Ernie Ball, but I've made enough mods to it that I actually prefer it to the many I've noodled around with. Seymour Duncan pickups are the next best thing to winding your own - which I don't have the patience nor skill to pull off. Tim Commerford makes his own which just blows my mind. I do mix my own paints when I'm not using acrylics, so I'm not a complete lazy ass.

Anyways, back to playing my bass in the relative safety of my house. I'm not good at it. In fact, I suck. I'm bad enough that even my old bandmates up in Seattle noticed. I can play 1/32nd notes though. I can play one right now, see? *bing*

I think the reason I don't progress as a player has to do with knowing too many talented players. My ex is the bassist for a very good band here in LA. She plays a silver Ernie Ball MM 5 string that inspired me to pick up my 5 string. She loves that bass more than me, which is one of the may reasons we broke up. I don't blame her, it's really a pretty little thing. Mines better though. My friend Mavis plays in another great local band, but guitar. He plays bass at Universal Bar and Grill on Sunday nights in a jam band though. That guy makes me sick. He plays drums, guitar, bass, keyboards, trumpet, and a multitude of other instruments. He can also build most of the instruments he plays. He used to make trumpets and trombones for a living . From scratch. So I kind of get intimidated by these people and kind of give up on trying to play as well. It's a hobby, more than anything, for me.

I just converted one of my no-name 4 strings to a fretless though. That was fun. I had to plane down the fretboard a little to get the strings to rest properly. I actually did it in the dark and went by feel so my eyes wouldn't deceive me. I'm waiting to fill in the frets properly with some sandalwood before I put a finish on it, but already it sounds surprisingly decent. I just need to do that, eat a bunch of greasy chicken without napkins, then go to town embarrassing myself by trying to play along with Jaco P.

No point to this journal entry, is there? Now everybody on my list knows that I'm not very good at something they didn't know I have an interest in. That's a good idea for a comment to leave - what do you have a passion for yet do not excell in? You know my answer: snowboarding. What's yours?