:: Naked Brunch: Austin City Limits Edition ::

This past summer has managed to wreck my website traffic by reducing it to about 15% of what I had managed to build up since May of 2005. I even missed my two-year anniversary. Those of you that have stuck, you are demi-gods and goddesses. (Either that or you have been too lazy to remove me from your feed reader.) I appreciate your loyalty/constancy.

Even though I did not receive any help whatsoever at my job as a result of the hell of this past summer, I haven't quit my job. I am either a complete and utter masochist and/or I have some loyalties there that are difficult to break. I suspect both are true. Shit.... they need me. Even if I get slapped around for my efforts.

I love the fall and it's coming my way in Texas, even if the weather isn't exactly cooperating. The coffee shops are beginning to serve all those wondrous spicy confections and warm beverages that just warm my heart and soul. I even found a pumpkin spice coffee creamer at the grocer last week. Yum. In October/November, it's going to be time for a camping trip to Lost Maples. I just purchased K10D Pentax Digital camera with convertible lens capability. I can use any Pentax lens I want with this gorgeous and amazing camera, right off the shelf of some used camera equipment store. I can get a Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lens for about $180 bucks. It comes without a lens or with a standard 15-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Right now the price at Amazon is $705 with the 15-55mm lens. I paid more and this is on sale, down from over $1,500. In this scenario, I recommend buying the 15-55mm lens with the Amazon price since the difference without the lens is a mere $17. If you need a camera, I highly recommend this one. It is a beautiful camera. I can not imagine ever needing another one. However, this isn't a camera for the pocket camera enthusiast. It is also pricey and similar to my 20-year old 35mm Pentax in size and weight. I consider this is a semi-professional camera. With some lense upgrades.....? Anyways, I am planning on a weekend in Lost Maples, me and my camera, the little tent and my youngest dog in a month or so, when the fall weather puts a cold scent up my nose.

Austin City Limits Music Festival is live this weekend and you can watch it online via the AT&T Blue room!!! The last day of the festival begins at 12:45 PM CST. The following is today's schedule:

• 12:45, Willy Mason - bio
• 1:30, The National - bio
• 2:30, Robert Earl Keen - bio
• 3:30, DeVotchKa - bio
• 4:30, Lucinda Williams - bio
• 5:30, Regina Spektor - bio
• 6:30, Ben Kweller - bio
• 7:30, Nicole Atkins & The Sea - bio
• 7:45, Ghostland Observatory - bio
• 8:30, Bloc Party - bio
• 9:30, THE ARCADE FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The White Stripes bailed as the finale for this event according to what I have read - due to a nervous breakdown. On Friday, The Arcade Fire was taped at the ACL studios and they will be replacing the White Stripes. Works for me.........bigtime!
  

Get a FREE 2007 ACL Festival 10-pack download via iTunes. Get it before it's too late. I downloaded mine this morning and recommend Heartless Bastards, Tokoyo Police Club, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Art Brut, Bloc Party, The Cribs, and Indigo Girls.

After dealing with intense local politics and intrigue for the last four months, none of which I can write about, I pretty much turned off the news, outside of those rare moments when I thought I could deal with just a little more. Since things have calmed down for me on the local front, I'm little by little leaping back into the fray. To say I would have any depth of knowledge of National politics at this time much less National and World news would be a serious understatement. I know nothing. And, I'm so blind, I had to buy new glasses. At lease the new frames are Italian design and awesome. (Aging sucks. Yes, if you have any mental acuity whatsoever, you gain knowledge and hopefully wisdom, but the failures of your body parts starts to mount up. Fuck it. I want a replacement program. Especially when someone I haven't seen in 6-months tells me I look ragged and worn out.)

So, let's see what everyone else knows and maybe I can catch up a bit.

Greenwald ala Michael Mukasey (or, is it the other way around - I nominate Glenn!), our next Attorney General? (Alberto's resignation was such a blip on my radar....)

Bush ala Obsidian Wings ... Priceless... Like necromancy, or fucking the dead, yet more disgusting, even for Bush.

The U.S. Military ala The Carpetbagger Report .... it's about fuckin' time. Hmmm.....Ripley has this picture of Cheney and the Marines. Maybe that explains it a bit. You know, it just dawned on me. I've been virtually out of sync and pocket for over 4 months, and not much has changed except some of the details. It's like watching a freakin' soap opera. You can't ever miss too much, because it's always the same....one way or the other.

Frankly, I'm sickened by the constant 9/11 rhetoric, which is why I rarely refer my readers to anything resembling such. However, one non-such article was published by the Washington Post on the 9/11 anniversary. Thank you for this: 5 Myths About Terrorism

On Culture ala Talk Show Hosts....may most of them rot in their own exclusive hell. What is the deal with self-aggrandizing awards shows? Personally, I can't stand them any more than I can the Miss America contest. World Peace my ass. You ever see one of those bitches risk their precious beautiful ass to bring about World Peace?

Playing Chicken ala The Presdent ... stupid dangerous insane sonofabitch. And, I wasn't talking about Iran. As far as my opinion matters, Bush/Cheney are the terrorists.

Acephalous ala The Best Of, Part Deus ... I love this guy. Read the melody and humor of his written word and you will as well. Eric and the Jaws of Life is particularly hilarious!!! Believe me, I just read it again and I almost dropped my laptop computer on the floor whilst laughin' my ass off. And, near and dear to my heart in more ways than one: Leonard Cohen's "How to Speak Poetry," How He Spoke Poetry, and How Poetry Shouldn't Be Spoken Eric of Straight White Guy would appreciate this one. Besides he seems to be obsessed with Squirrel Sex (and it isn't the first time either) appears to need distraction. {smilin'} Gotta love a solid obsession.

Dohiyi Mir protests! I particularly like Peace Bitch....but check them all out. (Ahem....well....how about a same sex public toilet.....nudge me....) Well, maybe Jesus' General has it figured out.

Chris Floyd leaves us with some tunes while he embraces some history and companionship for a few daze.

I must say, The National is playing right now at the ACL Fest and they certainly have a song or two that sound like a little band called Arcade Fire. Have a listen and tell me what you think. I think the singer is also a huge early days David Byrne fan among some other I could name. I rather like them and their Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!!! Rude Pundit ala Bush Trying to Get Us Off!

Sugar Land is Dreaming about fucking monkeys and Russian sustainability

You Ain't No Picasso has some songs from the performers at ACL Fest.

Check these music blogs for ACL Fest info, music and reviews: Spinner.com and Stereogum

Brunch: French Toast and Pumpkin Spice-laced java.

Naked: In about ten minutes, me, my shower wand and a bit of rosemary-mint bath oil in the only part of my bathroom left in working order - the bathtub (remodeling). Self-love. Ain't it grand. Have a good one yourself.

tag: ACL, Austin City Limits Festival, Arcade Fire, loyalty, masochism, fall, Lost Maples, Pentax K10D, life, aging, Greenwald, Mukasey, Bush, Marines, Cheney, Military poll, 5 myths about terrorism, culture, talk show hosts, bush plays chicken with Iran, Acephalous, Squirrel sex, Dohiyi Mir, war protest, peace bitch, Jesus' General, Chris Floyd, The National, Rude Pundit, Sugar Land is Dreaming, Zen Cabin, monkeys, sustainability, You Ain't No Picasso, Spinner, Stereogum, self-love