March Roundup

March 2012- the month that was:

• Rick Santimonium calls Obama a "government nig-" and then stops. This article kind of sums it up, fairly.

rick-santorum-slip-n-word

• Riots in Barcelona during General Strike March 29
• Books i read;

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

The Post Mortal - Drew Magary

Life as We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer

Hunters of Dune - Herbert / Anderson

Sand Worms of Dune - Herbert / Anderson

Well, i am officially looking for a job in CT. I found out that private schools don't need certification, so that seems my best route. I am qualified to teach ESL, writing, literature, business and marketing. So if you hear of anything please let me know. Let the networking begin!

No mas

JUEVES

Atletico looked great in the first 30 minutes of the 1st leg of their quarter final Match vs. Hanover but they only converted 1 of 2 opportunities to score a goal. And then Hanover got a quick turnover and scored so it is 1-1 in the 84 minute. That means Atleti would need at least a goal to advance next week in Germany. Salvio scores in the 89th Minute in a brilliant strike! 2-1 Atletico. Madrid wins!

I want to see Atletico Madrid lift another cup before i leave. Vincente Calderon Stadium is rocking! Huge win. 

Ahhh.. almost Friday. I am weary. I really had to use my brain a lot this week. I could smell it. Note to Self: Change the oil.

It's 68F every day. Lovely weather. 

We'll die of drought, but til then....

- - - 

I hear voices inside my head.

They are soothing.

- - - 

VIERNES 13:29

What's the difference between Madrid and Barcelona?

- We didn't set our city on fire during the general strike.

I had class at 9:00. We did the lyrics to Dark Side of the Moon, as i have the past 6 years. Two hours of class at 17:30 and then it's Semana Santa with a very light schedule. I'm exhausted. I need a break. 

General Strike

It was slow going on the Metro, but alack, i got where i wanted to go. I taught 5.5 hours. The Cercanias train was more reliable, as always.


There was some violence but i think it was kept to a minimum. 


The biggest crowd of protesters i saw was on the street i live one (it's the main drag in Atocha) when i was arriving home at 20:30. I am leaving at the right time. I will finish the school year, go to Laura's wedding on Aug 4th and then i shall blow this popsicle stand. 4 or 5 hours manana, then the weekend. And next week will be very light with it being Semana Santa. Let's strike because of austerity meaasures and then all take a week off from work! It doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. But nothing here does.

Huelga: Yet another Strike

http://www.culturespain.com/2012/03/14/general-strike-in-spain-29th-march-2012/




This won't change anything. The country is broke! That's why the other rats and i are leaving.

Going Home

We hear a sound and alter our returning
We drift the shadows and course our way back home
Flying home
Going home
-Yes



Home. I am going home. 


I feel at peace with this decision, something i did not feel when i thought about it in the past. 


It's time. 

Exile's End

And finally into our world,

Do you know what,

You let yourself in for

And finally into our world,

And lord knows what,

You let yourself in for

-The Pineapple Thief

Day 1, 548. I am 95.3% sure that the Spanish part of my exile is coming to an end. Stick a fork in me because i am fucking done.

Whether i wind in CT or elsewhere remains to be seen. But financially and spiritually, Madrid  no longer holds an interest. Collectively, they are the most ignorant human beings in the developed world. And did i mention the government is utterly bankrupt?

So staying here no longer makes sense. So i have already started looking for a job. I could land in CT. I may even bite the bullet and go to some MiddleEast country for a year and make a bunch of money, tax free. I'm even willing to go without booze and floozies for a year. It'll be like the Betty Ford Clinic and a Convent rolled into one and i can just write another novel. 

I need a change. I'll go wherever i can secure work and health  insurance. And if that's not the USA by August, than so be it.  

And you and me, we are the same,

Do you know what, you’ve let yourself in for,

And you and me we are the same,

Lord knows what, you’ve let yourself in for

What have we sown, what have we sown,

Just shut your eyes until they’ve flown,

Wherever you are, wherever you are,

I’ll be with you

-The Pineapple Thief

Surrender

Something is happening. The chair is against the door. The fat lady has sung. I need to figure out what to do with my life in the next 4 months. Quite honestly, it terrifies me. I can't really 'go home' because the life i had with Susan and Frippy is gone. Frippy is literally gone (my fuzzy baby boy!) I can go back but it will be something new. I need a job. I need to place to live ( i can stay with Mum to start.) I need to figure out where i want to live. I need to get health insurance. I need to have my head examined. I love what i do but how can i do it in the USA without going back to school again. I already have $107, 000 worth of education. How much more is necessary?


Let the games begin.


I know that every year Australia has to cull the Kangaroo population. I could see myself in the outback popping kangaroos and then opening KangaBurger. I hear the meat is great for burgers. 


I had such big plans for myself when i was a kid. Ah.... the folly of youth. 


The future is today. The shit hits the fan manana. 

"The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved. -Jeremiah 8:20

MacBeth

All is well. Good weekend. Vicky and i saw my friend Tweedie in an English version of MacBeth, went for Chinese and then hung with Carolyn and Gareth. Lotsa work manana. Nighty night.

A blur of a week

Whew! I have been allergy ridden or sick as a dog the past two days (it matters not which, as i feel like poop on a stick either way.) I called in sick to my 8:00 class but made all the others. Five hours manana (i finish at 21:00) and then i am done. I've been sleeping like crazy. 8 hours of sleep is a hell of a lot for me, which i did last night. I have been a mucous factory. That's the nicest way i can describe it. 


We finally got some rain which should have cleared out the allergens and pollution but i feel like hell. Maybe i am sick. physically. Or in the head. Or both. 


Ooohhh, yeah
i'm just a snot machine
ain't gonna honk for nobody but you
-Traditional


But things could be worse - I could live in Greece. Or i could be Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum's wife or children. If either of those douchebags win the election i am never coming back to the USA to live. I'll just move to Madagascar and become an organic farmer. And start my own religion; Benderism.


The European Union is crumbling all around us. Things are worse in Spain than ever, at least since Franco. Luckily, i have work cuz everyone wants to learn English in order to get a job. 


Weekend Plans:


Friday - Work, then sleep
Saturday - Sleep
Sunday - The Welsh Witch and i will go see my friend Tweedie in MacBeth at 16:30, then sleep.


It will pass but being sick makes me feel like i'm 1,000 years old. In actuality i'm only 133.


But i am home. And comfy. I'll be asleep by 00:00 to get at least 7.5 hours of snooze before i teach manana at 9:00. 


Listening to:


Peter Gabriel (1)
Peter Gabriel (2)
Peter Gabriel (3)


I adore the second Gabriel album. It was produced by Robert Fripp.


Finished Hunters of Dune. Awesome! Bring on Sandworms of Dune. I read therefore i am.


Has anyone seen my pants?

17:17

17:17  MARTES

It's Spring and we are supposed to get snow flurries manana. What the what?


Peyton Manning is a Denver Bronco. They were my most hated team for years being a Seattle AFC West rival. Now i can hate them just as much again.


So what happens to Tebow? They will trade him to Miami. He is a god in Florida (which is conflict for the pious young man, i am sure.) And the Dolphins are a train wreck of epic proportions. But he will put folks in the seats so why not?


And what happens to Alex Smith in SF. I know he has been a disappointment, but he got them to overtime in the NFC Championship game. He seems to have thrived under Harbaugh. 


Reading: Hunters of Dune

A New QB

Matt Flynn is a Seahawk. 3 Years, $10m guaranteed. No draft picks were lost so it doesn't hamstring the franchise. He's unproven yes, but one of the offensive coaches knows him well from his time in Green Bay. 


This situation is eerily similar to Homegrown picking up Hasselbeck from QB years ago. It's worth a shot. 


Now if Manning goes to Tenn and Alex Smith gives SF the finger and goes to Miami, the Seahawks could actually have a shot to win the division.  But i think Peyton is going to SF.

Daddy - O

Acala de Henares


Manana is Father's Day here so Vicky, a friend of hers, and I are going to Acala De Henares by train. It's maybe 45 minutes away. It's supposed to have some very old and beautiful parts. And it should be a nice day. My long winter coat has been in the closet for over 3 weeks. We have been very spring-like.


So a happy day to all you daddy-o's.

Clouds

So many things I think about
When I look far away
Things I know, things I wonder
Things I'd like to say
The more we think we know about
The greater the unknown
We suspend our disbelief
And we are not alone...
-Rush


Wales won the Grand Slam - they won the 6 Nations tournament and  beat all other 5 teams.


The Welsh Witch and i had a nice day. And then for IRE/ENG Brian and Mihaelia were there. But England thumped Ireland, 30 - 9.


It's 1:43. I go sleeping. 

The Now and the Future

Saint Patrick's Day and the last day of 6 Nations Rugby. Wales goes for the Grand Slam if they beat France and then Ireland / England from London! Vicky, Brian and Mihaelia will all be there. Then there's an 80's party at Barbaroi but i think i'll be knackered by then.


I saw UConn was knocked out of the Tournament as well as Duke and Missouri (Misery.)


With Rugby done after today i look forward to baseball. The Mets called me for a tryout. I refused. Given their salary constraints i can make more money as a teacher.


Washington Nationals anyone?


- - - 


The Mitt Witt, Sanctamonium, and Limbaugh are insane. Romney said "Planned Parenthood will be gone" when he's elected, and Santorum is EVEN MORE conservative. So what next, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale becomes reality? We become a religious state called New Gillead and women lose all of their rights as people if they are fertile because their bodies are remanded as procreation vessels?

Over my dead fucking body. 

In retrospect

0:50


After work i went to J&Js and hung out with Derrick, Erin, Erica, and Niamh. Left at 23:00. It was a long week. 


PLAYLIST

Deep Purple - Son Of Alerik

Procol Harumn Held Twas In I

Porcupine Tree - Anesthetize

ELP - Tarkus a.ERUPTION b.STONES OF YEARS c. ICONOCLAST d.MASS e.MANTICORE f.BATTLEFIELD g.AQUATARKUS

The Pineapple Thief - What Have We Sown

Rush - Cygnus X-1 Book II

Cirque de Soliel - Rumeurs

Yes - The Remembering (High The Memory)

Dire Straits - Romeo And Juliet

Pink Floyd Echoes Ten songs, 173 minutes.  Yeah, that's right baby - epic prog rock songs.  I just finished The PostMortal. Brilliant! Can't reccomend it highly enough.  Good night my friends. Thanks, as always, for reading. I am a good ways away, but when i blogg, i feel like you're right here with me.

Rush

Rush Limbaugh is an idiot and the real Rush, the band, has sent him a letter saying he is not authorized to play The Spirit of Radio as background music on his show. 


The second photo is the only Rush i listen to.

2023

Monday is father's day here in Spain (St. Joseph feast day). Sooooooooo Catholic, at least when it comes to holidays. The Welsh Witch and i are going to Alcala De Henares for the day. You can get there by the local Cercanias Train. Her father died ten years ago of a heart attack. And me, as you know, well i never really had one. I think of Pop (my Mum's father) as my father figure. Maybe someday Annie will feel similar about me. Speaking of which; Annie started taking violin lessons. She practices every day and adores it. I promised Susan i won't recruit her into a King Crimson '73 - '74 cover band until she's 16. But i did send Annie three KC songs. Sue said she'd press play and then leave the room. I said i could live with that. 


But i digress.


So Vicky and i will spend a fatherless day together. She thought it was a great idea. 


1:37. Damn, i have to wake up at 7:00. I go sleeping. 

Epic

Epic Bender Tuesday! Maria, Carolyn, The Welsh Witch, Niamh, Erica and Nicola were all there. I like to surround myself with beautiful women.


It ended at Barbaroi with Carolyn and Dave tongue wrestling in the middle of the bar. Yikes! If i could take out my eyeballs and soak them i surely would.

Taught from 2:00 - 21:30 today. Manana 8:00 to 20:00. No rest for the wicked. 

Looking Forward

Wow, i was unaware that March 11 was such a shitty day in history. It's the day of the Japanese 9.0 eartquake, tsunami, nuclear power plant leak. It's also the day that 4 Al Quaeda bombs went off simultaneously at Atocha train station, killing 191 people in 2004. Rupert Murdoch was born in 1931, who would later be responsible for Fox News. A really bad day. 


Well, here's some things to look forward to:


The Hunger Games (movie) - March 23 USA, April 20 Spain
The Lorax - March 30, Spain
Game of Thrones (season 2) - April 1
Baseball begins - April 5 


Just finished American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It was insane. Good but difficult to understand what the hell was happening at points. But it all came together in the end. File it under, fantasy, mythology, sci fi, and fucking weird. 


What to read next?

just another lunes

I'm not a martyr
I'm not a prophet
And I won't preach to you
But here's a caution
You better understand
That I won't hold your hand
But if it helps you mend
Then I won't stop it

Go on and save yourself

And take it out on me

-Audioslave

LUNES

Cancellations and a shuffling of schedules, just another fucking Lunes. Warm. I was warm just wearing a sweater.

1. The USA has 'sprung' ahead. In Spain we don't go to DST til March 25.
2. It took me a week to get a battery for my watch, so it is no longer 1:50. It had been that time for a week. 
3. We were 70 today. 73F manana and 76F on Wed. Crazy!

slow

SABADO


Over 12,000 page views. Thanks everybody!


The Japanese Tsunami and Earthquake was a year ago. It was a horrible thing; the earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear plant leak that followed. Unimaginable. 


Santorum won in Kansas but Romney largely ignored the state. Plus ultra-conservative America is Santorum's sweet spot. But he sure says a lot of stupid things. The fact that anyone votes for this guy at all scares the living hell out of me. 


Yesterday was good. I taught a class having lunch with my student, then went to see Ireland/Scotland in 6 Nations Rugby with Brian and Mihaelia, and then went home and took it slow. 


DOMINGO


I am still taking it slow.

No Rain

Still no rain. The south of Spain is fucked if they don't have a wet spring. Everything is so dry.


So come here slow
and bring the note of sadness in
-Frequency Drift


Time for sleep. We were 72F today. The temperatures have been mad.

Long

Long day. Long week. Long life, actually. I am meeting the Welsh Witch for drinks at 22:30. Then class at 9am. Then weekend. I need it, i really do.


- - -


Otherwise all is well. Some days i feel older then the pyramids. And then i think of my older brothers, Kevin and Pat, and i feel so much better.


- - -


2:30


Great night with Amanda and the Welsh Witch.. Now i go sleeping.

Besos

And the beat goes on....

This book was great. It's a young adult book about how an asteroid hit the moon knocks the moon clsoer to earth causing tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanoes, the latter casuing a nuclear winter effect. Food and petrol are scarce and the story is told through the eyes of a 16 year old girl. 


It's almost a full moon and seeing it tonight freaked me out after reading this book. I recommend it highly. 


And the beat goes on with the Republican primaries. Ugh. They are all such freaking losers. Romney is going to be the nominee though. And then Obama will whio his ass. 

Bring Back Dick!

Super Bender Tuesday! (aka. Stupor Bender Tuesday)! If i had to make a choice among The Nitt Witt, Sanctimonium and the Grinch, i would gladly vote for a reincarnation of Richard Nixon. Bring back Dick!

Super Bender Tuesday

Manana is Super Bender Tuesday.

Romney is a Mormon, A Seventh Day Adventist. The American Right will never vote him President.

Santorium is a radical Christian nutjob who hates sex and wants to keep the status quo of the 99% and th 1%.

And Newt Gingrinch...., well he's Newt Gingrinch. He's a hypocrite, blasting Clinton for MonicaGate and then having an affair with his now 4th wife for 5 years before he divirced his 3rd wife and married her.

So i don't care who wins. Obama should slaughter whoever wins. The winner will go down with the likes of George McGovern, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukasis and John Kerry - People who had no business running for the Presidency in the first place.

- - -     -    - --

Well, Buying New Soul is currently being read in Denver, PA, CT, Spain, Denmark and Australia. Woo hoo!

Time to teach!

Rain

SABADO












Songs on a Playlist;

The Adults	Free yourselves from this madness
Radiohead	Airbag
Radiohead	Fake Plastic Trees
Roger Waters	The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range
Radiohead	Fitter Happier
The Adults	This Town
Roger Waters	Watching TV
Asia	Video Killed The Radio Star

The Adults                 Not All Rotten






Days go by and we are still dry. Rain seems like a distant memory.


Found an article in the BBC called 5 Interpretations of The LORAX - BBC MAGAZINE


I'll teach it next week. I taught a little thing about Leap Day lore. If you haven't seen 30 Rocks episode about Leap Day William, it's hysterical and i'm sure you can watch it on Hulu or something.


So lazy. Don't want to move. Must shower - eat - clean. 




Books I read in Feb
1Q84 - Murakami - Books I,II, and III
She Drove a Stake Through His Head (tales of biblical horror) - various 
Buying New Soul - Me




1Q84 for bizarre and dreamlike. Way bizarro. She Drove a Stake... was freaking awesome! I reccomend it very highly. And Buying New Soul  which i've read and re-read, i'm happy to say i really enjoyed and i think it's the best thing i've ever written. But, i think any writer, musician, etc. always feels the newest thing is the most excitibg thing you've done. If you don't - you might be in big trouble! It takes just as long to write a bad book as a good one. 


Baseball adds an extra wild card to play a one-game playoff. Awesome!


I was against adding the wild card back in 1994. I was wrong. It's a long season and it's best of more teams have a chance. Twice now, the Cardinals have caught fire in Sept. and won a World Series. I hate the Cardinals but that's besides the point. 

pleased to meet me

i haven't seen me in quite a while. With finishing the book, and lots of morning and afternoon hours from the academy i've been busy as hell. I saw Carolyn, Laura, Carla all at J&J. They asked me to go out with them when they left JJ's but i was knackered. So i went home. I was asleep before 00:00. But it's been a great week.


I taught 6.5 hours yesterday and did an intensive 2.5 hour course with a guy who needed to practice an interview in English. This is my sweet spot because of my marketing experience. It's a lot of fun and you're helping somebody who wants to get a better job.  It's another reason why it's good to be working for 3 academies, even though i only have one class each with Transfer and and PLT. You stay in their mind and they always use me for intensives for business people.


And writing has been great. Last week i started writing a blog for Maria's new company. The blog is  called Un Guirri Entre Gatos. It means a foreigner among the cats. People who have two parents that are both from Madrid are called cats.


So i tell a funny story and end it with the explanation of a phrasal verb. So i introduced my self, told them how i came to be in Spain, the (PG-13) version, and then said, "So that's me in a nutshell. Then i posted a definition from the dictionary; TO BE CONCISE. Her and her partner, Paloma, really liked it.


Yah! Writing is what i've always done. I must remember that it's what i must always do.


I spoke with Mum on Wed. and i was talking about how i've never worked this long on a book. And she said something like, "You know Jay, maybe you just needed to let some time go by, so you could see it with more clarity." I think she pretty well nailed it.


It was an exhausting process.


NEWS OF THE WORLD


The price of petrol in Europe is at an all time high. The leaders of Iran are insane. I don't know what they hope to gain. War with Iran would be bad. No one can afford it.


Hmmm. Sorry to end on such a sour note. Well, here's some good news.... North Korea agreed to curb their nuclear project in exchange for aid in the form of food.


And tomorrow Brian and i will watch Ireland / France in 6 nations rugby. It's a big game.


Baseball has added a 5th playoff team for 2012. They will play in a one-game playoff to see who goes off to the LDS. Sounds delicious! The Mets would need 30 teams to make the playoffs to make it this year. And so once again, the Mets are in full tilt rebuilding mode. Fortunately the Washington Nationals have a real chance to compete. That is the division of daetha and Mayhem  with Philly, Miami (yeah, that's what tehy call them now), Atlanta and Washington. The Mets are completely boned in that division.