Ain't Life a Drag

I just mailed in my taxes. Between the both of us we only made $596 all year in 2008....hahaha and it wasnt any of mine. SSI and welfare don't count...which is the majority of our income. But since we are married and have our daughter we are going to get about $500 back and dont have to pay anything...so thats cool. Im just worried it's going to take along time to get my check back because of the poor economy.

Without getting into detail too much i gotta say that me and Nicole are overcoming a very large problem together, and becoming closer because of it. I dont want to say what happened...but after everything we have been through together nothing shocks me and i know we can overcome anything together if we want to . Sidney is almost 17 months old and getting soo big.

I'd show you just how big she is getting , but my camera was stolen at school. It was kinda my fault. I left my backpack somewhere when i was studying. I realized it was gone so i went to the front desk and someone had turned it in, but the camera was missing. I used all of my investigatory skills to get a weak ass description of the person who dropped of the backpack, but that may not have even been the theif. Someone with a similar M.O. took $50 out of someones purse befor it was turned into the front desk. Here are some possible scenarios...

scenario 1:suspect one found the backpack...took out my camera and handed it off to suspect 2(or an innocent person) to turn in.

scenario 2:somone turned it in to the front desk and the lady up there took the camera

scenario 3: someone took the backpack, took the camera, and turned it in

suspect - female, dark complexion(possible black or hispanic)...dark shoulder length straight hair . approx 5'5'


so anyways...between nicole, my camera...and my FLAT TIRE...ive had a shitty week. My tire popped on a nail and i had to fix my first ever flat tire by myself. i forgot to put the E brake on and it rolled and fell off the jack 3 or 4 times. Twice the brake pad fell on the donought tire and i think it bent because now it squeals...shitty stuff

atleast i have Fifteen-Suprise and Fifteen-There is No Place Like Home...they save me ...especially the song -Aint life a Drag....WHEN YOU GOT IT ALLL!!!!

MY FIRST SHOW REVIEW

http://www.latenightwallflower.com/site/2009/02/04/show-review-thorns-of-life-live-at-gilman-st-berkely-ca-13109/

Check that out...this guy Matt that i met online wanted me to review that Thorns of Life show and take some photos...so i said no problem, i was already gonna bring my camera(which got FUCKING STOLEN AT SCHOOL two days ago...it was my first fathers day present...fucking assholes. ANyways...this is my first time doing somethign like this. Im trying to get more involved in the local punk rock scene here in the east bay. Its good for me to have something to look forward to and put my time and energy into. This guy matt said for now im a guest columnist...but if i keep going to shows and reviewing them for his site i will get an account...so im totally gonna start doing this more. I've been picking up every zine i can find..so far Asscactus is my favorite. I picked it up at Gilman along with an issue of SLingShot with an article by Aaron Cometbus. Im just looking for ideas and stuff...trying to find what i can do to make my zine my own and stand out from the some of the generic garbage that is out there. So check out the review and give me some critiques...im open, put my feelings aside...and if you dont know how to do that ask my wife...haha...aww....

Change for Dinner

What's wrong with this picture?
Across town there's someone crying
He's tired of living
Tired of trying
Dying from feeling like dying

And on the other side of the tracks
is where they say the rich folk are
Not thinking of crying,trying, or dying
Appreciate what you've got
Cause your not!!!
Compared to me...you've got a lot

But you will never know what it's like
To sleep outside in a park for the night
or getting beaten just fighting for my right
To live...To eat...To love...to hate
just like dinner I'll have to wait...
for some change

(i just wrote this 10 minutes ago in algebra class...its another one that came out frictionless. I used to live a hard life while i was strung out on heroin and other drugs from age 17-23. I was brought up in a pretty financialy comfortable house. We werent rich, but my dad made about 90,000 a year, so we didnt go without. After living on the streets and pandhandling or stealing to get by i learned alot more about life. Sure, it sucked, but atleast i got some very important life lessons from it. #1-appreciate what you DO have, not what you DONT have because someone out there always has less and would LOVE to have what you take for granted. #2 life is what you make of it. im sure i was happier in the gutter , shooting up, than some people out tthere with millions. #3 Everyone in the world has everything they need to fuck up in life...but its what you do with that fuck up that counts :)

My Words

I wrote these three songs in class in two days. I try to capture whats in my head with my limited vocabulary, but i do aight i think.I usually write...read...throw away...repeat. But these ones were written in a really complicated, confusing, painful period in my life(you can probaly tell if you read them). and they just flowed from my head to the paper with such ease ; and upon reading them a couple of days later i STILL really liked them and they still felt relavent even after the feelings passed...which usually doesnt happen to me and thats why i throw them away(they dont feel like i wrote them)...but these are different. Together is about my daughter ...and the others:awake and foundation are about my wife...we have gotten through the worst of the worst and enjoyed the best of the best together ...so I feel like we can get past anything...but lately have been doubting that. I will not say anything else and just let you read the words.

Awake
I thought i knew you...guess i don't
THought i'd have everything you'd ever need...looks like i ran out
Thought we'd grow old together...now we're just growing apart
Why didn't i see this coming?

Cupid's arrow missed its mark
And now you've left me in the dark
To fend for Myself
Stop the cycle, hit brakes
end this madness
What will it take
Atleast now I'm AWAKe

Foundation
Our foundation lacks foundation
built upon this sinking ship
now sits at the bottom of the ocean
this wreck can be salvaged with the kiss from your lips
to save us all
you must save your own life
i watch you fall
what have you done with my wife?

And when you hit the ground you land face first
then you look around...it can't get any worse
Stand up, brush yourself off
learn from your mistakes

TOGETHER(me and sidney)
Angel of mine, you came into my world
born into a world soo big
your soo small
I'm here to show you the way
To catch you when you fall
As long as you got me and i got you
there is nothing we can't do
TOGETHER
I may not know it all yet
but you can bet
we will learn it
together
forever

Thorns of Life rocks Southern California

THorns of life played two shows in southern california last week. First they played in San Diego on the 22nd and then at the Eagle Rock Arts Center in LA. The amount of videos as well as the quality of the sound on the videos has tripled. An acoustic video also made its way onto youtube on the 22nd of an acoustic solo preformance by BLake in a Brooklyn Bar. After i saw the new videos from the LA show i realized that the 2 songs that were filmed(he played 3, but only the last two made it online) were also being played by Blake in the new band. They are two reaLLY GOOD songs, and i especially like the second one he plays acoustic...about fairytails: at the acoustic show he dedicated it to his nephew and the LA show he dedicated it to there familys that were in the audience.(Blake grew up in LA, and i think Danellia(bass player)
did as well, or atleast her family is there now)



Someone at the LA show told me they had shirst for sale...im stoked about seeing them. I get paid the day befor the show and me and NIcole are leaving the car at home(and the baby at her aunts) and takin the Bart there(Bay Area Rapid Transit). We met at an Against Me! show in Bakersfield in 2004. The only show we have seen in the last 5 years is Lower Class Brats in Bakersfield @ La Movida(latino discoteca)

So yea...i've had jawbreaker/crimpshrine/thorns of life mania lately. Now that all of these new videos are up of there two latest shows people that are going to see them in the Bay area(like me) have a chacne to konw some songs, since the band is so new. I know i always like when one of my favorite bands plays my favorite songs. The only show that is at this level is when i saw Versus in LA at the Troubador. Now that i live in the East BaY(30 mintues from Berkely/oakland and 45 from San Fransisco) there are always good shows going on...and if its important enough i will take the little one. She needs to know her roots.
(this is thorns of life in LA playing the same song BLake plays acoustic in the video above...the second song)

Thorns Of Life show!!!! (ex-jawbreaker/crimpshine)

THorns of Life (blake from jawbreaker, cometbus from crimpshine)
@ 924 Gilman St in Berkely, Ca
1/31/09
8$

This is my first show in like 3 years. I cant wait to see them play. I am going NO MATTER WHAT...even if i have to take Sidney. Luckily i get paid the day befor the show. Berkely is only like a 30 minute drive, but im gonna take BART there. If anyone else plans on going let me know...if you are coming from Bakersfield or out of town, im sure you can crash at my place in Antioch for the night.




http://www.924gilman.org/calendar.html

The Begining

My name is Jimmy and I started this blog so i could post my thoughts on different bands/music/ideas for all to read. The opinions expressed in this blog are just that...opinions. I dont believe that one persons musical tastes can be any better/worse than anyone elses. To me, good music is whatever catches my ear and keeps me interested. The lyrics or melody or anything about it may catch my fancy. Some of my favorite bands are Jawbreaker, Seaweed, Husker Du, Hated, Joy Division, and Samiam. So enjoy, any feedback is welcome, even if its negative.