Insominia, Strikes, No Electricity, Homelessness and Zombies

My new group of short stories, From Lost to the River, writes itself. Metro is on strike because ALL gov workers had to take a 5% cut because the gov is broke. No one likes that, but atleast they have jobs when 20% here don´t. So what do they do? They crush all business for two days by having an ILLEGAL full strike. They are required by law to maintain minimal service. That was Monday. Today and yesterday were a nightmare. I´ve had to cancel 3 classes already. The buses suck. And their website crashed today. Nice to know they are prepared. So i´m just gonna walk the 4km home at 9pm. It can´t take more than 1.5 hours, which is how long it took me to get here by the train that does run and bus.

Then the fact that Laura´s landlord didn´t pay the electric bill and we have no power, and won´t til Friday. The shower i so cold you think your face will rip as it it stretches across your
cranium in the cold. And as for my balls, when they haven´t been that small since i was eight.

None of this was helped by the fact that i couldn´t sleep the night before.

At least Spain advanced in the Copa Mundal.

And then there´s those goddamned Zombies. I couldn´t get to the dentist. Cabs were all full. Couldn´t get to work (if i could find a cab, to and fro, would eat all the money i got paid) so i cleaned and then read World war Z, about zombies. I didn´t know why the power was out yet. And i thought, no Metro, no power - Zombies!!!! It´s the end of the World! i called Luara to warn her of this undead menace, and that´s when she explained that the land lord sucked. I was duly relieved.

HUELGA!

There has been a Metro Stike in Madrid, meaning i had to cancel all classes yesterday. And because Laura's landlord did not pay utilities, we have no power. I am at a locutorio. Add to that the 95F heat and the Zombies (more on that later) it´s been a Putada. I now go to walk 4km to class. Just a quick note to let you know i am alive (and i am recharging my cell phone here as we speak). Why does everything run on electricity! Except me!

Sleeps with Fishes

Raining. It always rains at night these days. Climate change. I saw a mosquito in my room! I have seen about a dozen in the 3+ years i have lived in Madrid. At least it cools things off. It's in the 90's everyday. I read today that Tuna ( for sushi ) is in danger of extinction, due to over fishing and the fact that the gulf oil spill has threatened one of only two breeding grounds. We need to depend more on aqua farming to keep up supply and demand. And the FDA is poised to okay genetically modified Salmon, which matures at a faster rate. Eek! The Mets have a series in Puerto Rico. Add that to the USA loss to Ghana and i can only surmise that the Apocalypse is nigh.

Bummer.

Other than that everything's swell.

Minute 92

It was a tense crowd of USA supporters at the bar yesterday. The USA had let several golden opportunities slip away. And then, in the first minute of extra time, Landon Donovan buries the ball in the back of the Algerian net. The crowd at the bar exploded. Jumping, hugging, yelling. So the USA is through. Bring on Ghana, a very tough team, and very possibly the last African team standing by the time the knockout phase begins.

Busy with work. I'll still have some classes the next 2 weeks, which is very good. And i leave for the States two weeks from Tuesday.

It finally got hot here. Horrible. 93F yesterday. Same today. Ugh.

Melting..... melting!

-The Witch of the West, Wizard of Oz

Through the Juicer

Well, Spain won today.

And i saw the DVD of the gig today. I enjoyed it. Sound isn't great, but you get the idea. And we played well. Good energy, and you can see we're having fun. Tomorrow 5 hours of class, then record in the studio room 20:00 - 23:00.. It'll be a live recording. Then the band will take a 2 1/2 month hiatus. Some people call it summer. I call it going home. None of the band live as far away as i do. I could use a wee break. Pete and i will write over the summer and stay in touch through email.


So i'll have a DVD and a CD for you all when i see you!

Otherwise, things go forward.

Can't sleep. Mind racing. Must wake up in 4 1/2 hours. Okay. Take a breath. Breathe in, breathe out.

Run Rabbit run Dig that hole in the sun -Pink Floyd

Horrendous Call

SCREAMING: Michael Bradley, one of the players held on the play, begged the referee Koman Coulibaly for an explanation. (NY Times)

Koman Coulibaly of Mali now tops the USA's Most Wanted list of terrorists. It was a terrible call (a phantom foul) that denied the US the winning third goal that would have put them atop of Group C with one game to go. Coulibaly never explained who the foul was on. He either ignored players or did not speak English well enough. How can any International Ref not know English, the world language? FIFA said he may be suspended from any further matches, but the damage is done. This guy had a chip on his shoulder about the US from the beginning. No less than three Slovenian's can be seen holding three USA players in the box on the same play, which would be a penalty kick. And a Slovenian was only given a yellow card earlier in the game for what easily should have been red.

This guy is a jackass. And FIFA is moronic for putting him in the World Cup. I want to see action. I am not calling on President Obama to bomb Mali, but to only bomb Coulibaly's house. Then we'll call it
even.

In some much needed good news, Janet has graduated from school and is an x-ray technician. Congrats!

And i am moved out of the hell hole for good. My drums are at Laura's. I am at Laura's. Rest of my stuff is at Maria's. Hooray!

I am making a call to Jack Ruby's daughter to see if she'll "handle" the Coulibaly situation.

The truth is an illusion. Reality is an illusion. Death is an illusion. More or less, we have no idea what the hell is going on. And anyone who tells you they they do, is just disillusioned.
-El Dude, October 18, 1996, Addressing the UN Security Council

Una Disastre

In the worst disaster to befall the country since the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the heavily favored Spanish Team fell to Switzerland, 1-0. Yes, Switzerland. Those neutral, yodeling bankers. Spain no longer controls its own destiny. The streets of Madrid were eerily quiet. The papers will call them chokers tomorrow and national morale will plummet. And oh yes, the country is also bankrupt. And if Spain does not win the group and finishes 2nd, they likely play Brazil. It's the first time the Swiss have defeated Spain in 19 tries. Spain had 25 shots on goal but the Swiss defense was iron. They played well, but just couldn't score. It's easily the biggest upset of the World Cup so far.