Black Sabbath's Bill Ward is Out!

In a note posted to his website Bill Ward drummer for the original Black Sabbath has officially pulled out of all of the reunion gigs citing that he just can not come to terms with his old bandmates. This is too bad, as the reunion was set to kick off this upcoming weekend in England, it would have been their first show together since 2005. 

According to him, Ward says that the group asked him to play drums on three songs during their set at the Download Festival in June, an offer he refused. Then on May 9th he said Sabbath asked him to play this Saturdays gig for free without any guarantee that he'd get to perform at the other shows, which he again turned town. The original members have vowed to continue on without him. 

Too bad...

Here is the letter posted to his website. 

Dear Sabbath Fans and Fellow Musicians,

I sincerely regret to inform you that after a final effort to participate in the upcoming Sabbath shows a failure to agree has continued. At this time I have to inform you that I won't be playing with Black Sabbath at the Birmingham gig dated May 19th, 2012, nor will I be playing at Download on June 10th, 2012. Further, I will not be playing at Lollapalooza on August 3, 2012.

It is with a very sad heart that I bring you this news. I am sincerely passionate in my desire to play with the band, and I'm very, very sorry that it's fallen to this. This statement is even more painstaking to write, as I was particularly excited to play alongside Tony Iommi after the recent treatments he underwent. I wanted that to become a reality.

To express my thoughts about you, the Sabbath fans, I'm going to speak to you all through an experience my brother James had recently. My brother Jimmy lives in the U.K. When speaking with him a couple of days ago, he told me that an acquaintance had stopped him on the street and confronted him, "is your brother playing Birmingham? What's going on? I waited in line with my son and paid x amount for the concert tickets."

The man's son is a young drummer. He's going to see Sabbath, and he wants to see Bill Ward play drums. Upon hearing this news, I felt horrible. I couldn't help feeling some resentment towards the failure to reach an agreement, the failure to remember where we came from, the failure to be as brothers, as we once were. To be clear, I'm not blaming the other guys or finding any faults with them. I would think it can't be easy for them either, but this situation is just really sad. It's sad that it's come to this. "This" will surely leave a mark and be unwelcome to the memory. Hopefully "this" will heal and pass in time.

My heart sank when Jimmy told me about this young boy. I know this boy is going to be disappointed, and I don't know how to amend it, other than to put my arms around the boy and tell him I love him. Sabbath fans have a voice and a face, to me you're human, you have families and despair. You have ferocity and emotions and graciousness, and at this moment as far as I'm concerned you are also that young boy in England. I don't know how to amend my part in these failings other than to put my arms around you and say I love you and let you know I'm very, very sorry.

Throughout this process, which began over a year ago, I have had to stand up for myself time and time again. I have had to stand up for myself and in doing so realize my actions indirectly, although unintentionally, are upsetting and hurting a lot of you. I know in my heart I couldn't have done these concerts by agreeing the terms suggested. I made a solemn vow after the last European and Ozzfest concerts that I would never again enter into what was, in my opinion, a totally unsatisfactory contract. I have to stand for something, and as painful as it is, I'm doing it.

Earlier in April 2012, I'd been asked to participate "minimally" in the Download festival. I believe I'd been offered no more than three songs to play while another drummer presumably played the rest of the show with Black Sabbath. I was not willing to participate in that offer. I was not prepared to watch another drummer play a Sabbath set, while I was to play only three songs.

I found out about the Birmingham gig on Monday, April 30 through the Internet ad. I was taken aback somewhat by the date, and the fact it was Birmingham. Knowing the "signable" contract negotiations were at best in shreds, I was upset by the idea that the band was going to play Birmingham and play it assumedly without me. I had no prior knowledge of the date and location, and I felt totally excluded. We contacted the representative for Black Sabbath to see if something could be worked out. In the meantime my drum crew and I, along with our US endorsers, finished all the necessary planning for a swift departure to the UK. There wasn't a whole lot to complete; we'd all been on standby more or less since mid-January 2012. The remaining work in the UK was confirmed done by our European and UK endorsers and we were good to go by Friday, May 4 2012. There were two stress points: firstly, getting an agreement in place, and secondly, getting to England in a timely manner. Jetlag time was taken into account as well as drum practice, a drum practice room in the heart of Birmingham, accommodation, and travel arrangements were all in place to meet with any band rehearsals that may have transpired before the Birmingham show. So far everything that had been arranged was on my dime, but we didn't move ahead without a realistic confirmation.

Communications between the representative and my lawyer continued through the weekend of May 5 finalizing on Wednesday, May 9. The offer we received on May 9 was, "come to the UK, play for free and see how the first show goes." I was tempted. Playing for free would not have been a problem for me, but "seeing how the first show goes" left an element of risk which could have affected Download. My ideal thought was to play in full the Birmingham show, in full Download, and in full Lollapalooza.

I had notified the representative that May 10 was my cutoff day in order to have good lead-in time for England. On the night of May 9 I asked for a brief letter to be sent to the representative asking to find out if we were at an end. On the morning of Thursday, May 10, I received a reply in the affirmative. After consulting with my advisors and crew a decision was made to let go and stop.

I can't prioritize the Sabbath fans making one show more important than the other. I can't do that. All of you are important. It's all the gigs or none at all. I can't come to Birmingham and "see what happens" knowing there is a risk of not being able to play Download or Lollapalooza. Again, for me, it's all or nothing. I had to say "no" to Birmingham on the principle of wanting to play all the shows. Saying no to Birmingham is very difficult for me. My family grew up in Birmingham. Black Sabbath grew up in Birmingham. It's still my hometown and I resent having to arrive at such a difficult choice.

Although the statement was made that, "the door is always open" for me, as explained above, walking through that door is not always as easy as it sounds. There are many complicated issues and unseen and unspoken agendas on hand. I can assure you, my criteria for a "signable" contract is based in mindful principles, respectability, and acknowledgement of my history within the band.

I hold no malice or resentment towards the other band members. I love them; I'm tolerant of them; I'm frustrated with them, as they may be with me. My fight has never been with them. I'll love them forever. In my opinion, nobody wins this time; the band doesn't win; the fans for an original lineup don't win. Nobody wins, nobody. Even the ones who thought they did. I didn't want to make this decision, but I have to be honest and transparent. This is the statement I didn't want to write; it's the last thing I wanted to do. But, I have written it, and now it can go into the universe.

Since Spring of 2011, I've waited patiently and hopefully for a signable contract, you know the rest. I stand for the boy in the U.K., for the coming drum student, for all the drummers, who write their parts out and get stiffed on the publishing, I stand with the Sabbath fans chanting "Bill Ward" and asking "why?" and I stand with Tony and Geezer and Ozzy.

On a final note, even though I'm at an end with the upcoming announced concerts, I will remain with an open mind and a position of willingness to negotiate "signable" terms with Sabbath's representatives in the future.

Stay strong.

Stay safe.

With all my heart and strength, I love you,

Bill Ward

Dear John Mayer

Here is an animated picture from John Mayers appearance on the Ellen show yesterday and all I can think of is.... "Where did you get that hat???" 

Please John if you have any hope for any sort of comeback please burn that hat immediately.

Here is an excerpt from the interview with Ellen yesterday:

John: “It was a really good time. I had to go home for a minute. The plan that originally gets you out high school and your hometown, in front of people. That plan was over. I had done it. I just sort of lost my head for alittle while. I remember one time was I was a kid, I went swimming and I closed my eyes and I kept swimming and swimming and came up out of the water and I was way passed the buoys and the lifeguards were blowing me in. I kind of lost touch and I didn’t want to ask for directions. I did a couple of some dumb interviews and it kind of woke me up.”

Ellen: “Is that what it is? The interviews? Because you got a lot of attention for the Playboy interview and I don’t know what else but is that when you kind if went, oh, you were not proud of that.”

John: “Oh yeah, I don’t even remember having a Rolling Stone cover. It was a very strange time and it sort of rocketed me into adulthood. It was a violent crash into being an adult. For a couple of years it was just figuring it all out and I ‘m glad I actually stayed out of the spotlight. Because I think back then I would of said, give me two weeks or like let me get out and do ‘Ellen’ and let me explain myself. It was like no, idiot. Go away be 33 and 34 instead of 28 for the 4th year.”

Florence + The Machine - Breath of Life

Great song for what is sure to be a great movie. My girl Florence + The Machine just released a video for the song she recorded for the new movie 'Snow White and the Huntsmen'. Its a great video, a great song and I for one can't wait for this movie to come out. Unlike the last post :)

I still don't think there is anyone who can touch the range that Florence voice has these days. Its almost perfect!

Tom Cruise. NO!!!

Here are some pictures that Tom Cruise just did for W Magazine in his alter ego from the upcoming movie Rock of Ages. I'm telling you, you couldn't pay me to see this. Yuck!

And yes I know he is jacked in these photos. Still doesn't do it for me. Yuck again!

Click HERE for the entire article. 

Doomtree - A Hip Hop Collective

Meet Doomtree a hip hop collective coming out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Wait what?

Here is a description of their style:

Members of Doomtree bring various bases of knowledge and musical backgrounds together to create alternative-influenced rap and hip-hop music. Nearly as prominent as the influence of hip-hop in their music is that of punk and their lyrics and frequently introspective. Emcees perform solo or with one another, each contributing a different approach to their music. 

Enjoy the clip above posted to the NPR website. You really get a good picture of what this group is all about.

Video of the Year - Outasight "Now or Never"

The new video for Outasights song "Now or Never" is just amazing. It clips together tons of different motivational/inspirational moments to make you feel like you can literally do anything. 

Its a great video to watch if you are just sitting in your office staring at a computer screen dreaming of bigger and better things. 

The song is quite catchy too. 

Damn, Not You Too Freddie!

I think I made my feelings for this whole "lets bring dead artists back through holograms" a few weeks ago after Tupac's performance in California. And now they are set to bring back one of my favorite front men of all time. My heart is breaking... 

Queen's guitarist Brian May told the BBC that he and the rest of the band are working on a way to bring back Freddie Mercury for the 10th anniversary of their rock musical, We Will Rock You, which runs in the West End of London. 

Although he has came out and said "this is no hologram tupac" shtick, I don't believe him. This is a terrible idea!!!

The Freddie Mercury experience is scheduled to take place during a special performance of the musical at London's Dominion Theatre. Additional most of all the original London cast and one of the shows most recognized producers, Robert De Niro, will reportedly be there to see it. 

I'm telling you people, this is not going to go over well. 

Iggy Pops French Album Rejected

I just read that Iggy Pop's latest album of French Pop Covers has been rejected by his label Virgin EMI. He will now attempt to release it on his own. 

He released the following statement about the rejection. Got to respect the man for sticking to his guns. 

"I've always had a very rough time in the big-time music business. I got kicked off every label. They would have preferred that I do a rock album with popular punks, sort of like "Hi Dad!"" He told reporters in Paris. 

Confirmed

Its finally confirmed. The worst kept secret in Hollywood was revealed yesterday when Fox announced the addition of both Demi Lovato and Brittney Spears to their X-Factor judging crew. See the official picture of the new panel above. 

Should be interesting to see Ms. Spears back in action. Hopefully she is leaving her craziness behind and will make a full comeback. 

The Mindy Project

Take a look at the trailer above for a new FOX show premiering this fall staring Kelly from The Office! It looks hilarious! But knowing me and my choice for tv shows, I'll fall in love with it only to watch four episodes and then it be yanked off the air. Fingers crossed that people actually show up to watch this thing!

Oh and yes happy Tuesday! Rangers won last night, I'm in a good mood, not even the insanity that is work will dampen that today. Have a good morning! 

Van Morrison - Sweet Thing

Since I refuse to end the day on that last song I will refresh the taste in your mind with one of my all time favorite songs...ever. "Sweet Thing" by Van Morrison off his 1968 album 'Astral Weeks' and it could be one of my favorite love songs. 

How could it not be with lyrics like this:

"And I shall drive my chariot down your streets and cry

Hey, it's me, I'm dynamite and I don't know why

And you shall take me strongly in your arms again

And I will not remember

That I even felt the pain

We shall walk and talk in gardens all misty and wet with rain 

And I will never, never, never

Grow so old again

Oh sweet thing, sweet thing

My, my, my, my, my sweet thing"

59 Million Views

I just was tooling around youtube and found this video. Yes its the one that has been playing on the radio for the last few months non stop. I have tried my best not to post it on here but today is the day it goes up... why?? ITS GOT 59 MILLION VIEWS. Seriously. 

I also have a feeling who accounted for at least 50K... I'm looking at you PC. 

So yes here is Carly Rae Jepson with Call Me Maybe. And warning do not play the video below unless you want to be singing this song for at least the next week. Can't say I didn't warn you.

Best Stop Sign Ever?

Could this tribute to MJ be the best stop sign ever?

Why yes. Yes it is. 

Uh-Oh Richmond Has a Weight Problem

Uh-Oh Richmond. I just read a very disturbing article on Newsweek. Take a look at the 10 Fattest Cities in America. We are in trouble!!!

10. Indianapolis, IN

9. Baltimore, MD

8. Pittsburgh, PA

7. New Orleans, LA

6. Louisville, KY

5. Columbus, OH

4. Virginia Beach, VA

3. San Antonio, TX

2. Richmond, VA

1. Memphis, TN

That is gross. And let me tell you were were very very close to being number one. Not good Richmond, not good!

Eclectic Method's MCA Tribute

This is pretty awesome. Eclectic Method just released a 17 minute remix in memory of Beastie Boy MCA. I just finished listening to it (and maybe dancing through some of it in my office) and its just fantastic. Take the time and listen to the video below. It is worth every moment.

Jack White - Amex Unstaged

Really loving all the new Jack White music out there right now. Recently he teamed up with AmEx for their Unstaged program releasing some really good live videos from his new album. The program is directed by Gary Oldman. 

Here are a few videos from the performance. A must see for any Jack fan.

'I'm Slowly Turning Into You'

'Love Interruption'

'Trash Tongue Talker'

Rangers vs Devils

Battle of the Hudson starts tonight at 8pm. Thats right its Devils vs Rangers time and the winner of this series goes onto the Stanley Cup Finals. Lots at stake, especially DeMaio family bragging rights. 

Its split right down the middle, my Dad and I are Rangers fans while my two brothers are Devils fans.

Can't wait.

Great Picture of Robyn

Here is a great picture of my girl Robyn by GL Wood.

It's obviously inspired by David Bowie. 

Love it.

Rock Star Beards

Beards have been a hallmark of Rock and Roll ever since the 1960s and since then there has been some mighty fine beards that have graced various stages. So I was a bit intrigued this morning when I saw Rolling Stone's 'Weekend Rock Question'. Which Rocker has the best beard in the business? Follow the link below to the gallery and choose for yourself. 

I am a little partial to Mr. Jerry Garcia's. :)

Gallery Here. 

Best Coast - The Only Place

Happy Monday to you all! I hope everyones day is off to a good start, mine has been non stop ever since my alarm failed to wake me this morning. I promise that is the best way to start a week running around your apartment like a crazy person! 

Anyways back to the music. Todays first one is from a band called Best Coast and their first single off their new album "The Only Place". Its the follow-up to the highly acclaimed album Crazy For You and it finds Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno maturing on all sorts of levels. Both in sound, lyrics and perspective of their songs. The album finds front woman Cosentino leaving her childhood behind on the last album and embracing adulthood and all those feelings of uncertainty and self doubt that come along with it. 

I love this album and for fans of this pop-duo I am sure you will too. 

Beautiful Weekend

In an attempt to delay the start of what is going to be a busy work week I'm here in my apartment listening to some good music (Young the Giant/Phish/Vinyl) and going through some pictures from the last few days. Its been beautiful lately here in Richmond and I'm hoping that this weather continues for a while before the heat sets in. Here are some fun pictures from a golf tournament, a car show,  some random horses at Maymont and of course a picture of my fabulous mother to celebrate Mothers Day today. 

Fingers crossed for a good week.

Happy Mothers Day!

Sunday is Mothers Day and in celebration I'm posting some of the all time best advice ever given by TV Mom's. This video is pretty great!

Happy Weekend.

Happy Graduation JMU!

I'm extremely busy today so I'm not getting a lot of time to get on here so I thought I would re-post a blog that I read last night about the recent JMU Graduation. Its a great letter to the class of 2012 and I will share it for you all here. I also wish someone told me this when I graduated from there in 2004. (OH MY GOD I'M OLD) Hope you have a great weekend planned!

Read the entire article right HERE. 

Dear Class of 2012: You Have No Idea What You've Gotten Yourself Into

Over 3,500 graduates joined the ranks of JMU alumni last Saturday. And to each of you, we say congratulations. It’s only been a few days, so we’re sure things haven’t really sunk in yet. You’re probably still bumming around with your friends, drinking heavily, and paying the tab with money dear old mom and dad put in your pocket. Over the past 4 (or 5) years, you were blessed to be a part of the pleasant little utopia in the Shenandoah Valley known as JMU. We were there once to and we loved it. Like you, we had grown accustomed to the rather comfortable little JMU lifestyle. We left campus anyway and marched out into world confident that JMU had prepared us for all the future could throw at us, convinced that the good times would never end. Only we were wrong. JMU did not prepare us for the real world. At all. And it didn’t prepare you for it either. It actually set you up to be disappointed. Very, very disappointed. And that’s because JMU is awesome and the real world sucks. In the real world you can’t just walk into a house, grab a beer, drink yourself silly, and stumble home with an attractive member of the opposite sex. That doesn’t happen. In the real world the drinks are expensive and most people are ugly.

By now you’re probably sick of old people giving you the terrible advice and pumping you full of sunshine. You should be sick of it because old people suck. Trust us. We are old people. And like all other old people, you will find us insufferable. Because we are. We are tired and worn out and we’ll try very hard to act young and hip when we meet you. It will come across as very sad. Because it is. And once we realize that you pity us, we will lash out and start raving about insignificant things like how you young people just don’t get it. Or we’ll lecture about how all those pictures on Facebook and Twitter are going to prevent you from getting a job. Which is ridiculous, because those pictures should help you get a job. Provided of course that you find out who else is interviewing for the same jobs as you and you tag them in every single incriminating photo you can find. It’s a tough job market. Dog eat dog.

And about those job things. Most of you probably don’t have one. Those of you that somehow did manage to secure an offer are about to be very disappointed. You are not going to be on the fast track working on important projects. You are going to do the same old boring sh*t everyone else does. And you’re going to do it the same way it’s always been done, because that’s how the world works. And you’ll do it every day. For 8 to 10 hours a day. For the next 45 years. You thought that having two classes on Fridays that one semester was bad? You’ll long for those days when you’re in the third hour of a 115 slide presentation on “synergies” being given by a guy in short sleeves and a knit tie. Oh, and that project that you work your ass off to complete because they tell you it’s “high visibility” and it will serve as a “launching pad” for success? They lied. Great job though. In exchange for all this, you might get a whole 2 weeks of vacation your first year. Which means that you’ll be the one stuck in the office by yourself between Christmas and New Years while everyone else takes off. Getting paid to sit around all day and do nothing for a week might sound OK. But once you finish reading the internet (yes, the whole damn thing) by the second day, you will come to experience boredom the likes of which you can’t imagine.

Life won’t be all work though. There will be new people to meet, and parties to go to, and bars to explore. But things won’t be like they were in Harrisonburg. At JMU people are inordinately attractive. And nice. And fun to hang out with. That is not normal. Plus, things are expensive after college, so you might be tempted to save money on rent and live way out in the suburbs. Do not do that. Doing so will sentence you to a life of happy hours at the TGI Fridays in the mall with 45 year old divorcees while your smarter friends hang out with people their own age in places that are actually fun. And if you somehow defy the odds on a rare night out in the ciy and convince someone to hop in a $58 cab ride home to suburbia with you, you’ll be in for a rough morning. I’m just guessing here, but driving some stranger back to their house 45 minutes away in a car filled with the stench of regret probably is even more awkward than it sounds. And hangovers? Yeah, you’ve never had one before. You might think you have, but no you have not.

So we hope you enjoyed your time at JMU. Living, learning, and partying with smart, funny, and let’s face it, extraordinarily attractive people, was awesome. We know that. But it set the bar sort of high. Unreasonably high. So don’t leave JMU. Don’t ever leave. Give back your diploma. Get another major. Or a Masters. The real world will be right here waiting for you when you’re done. And it won’t be like JMU.

Photo of the Day

Photo of the day is Colonel Sanders hanging out with Alice Cooper.

Why?

No clue. But I find it hilarious!

Tonight 9:30 PM

Tonight at 9:30 I will be home from Taco Thursdays and parked in front of my TV to watch the season finale of Parks and Recreation. Its election night and my vote is for Knope!

Can someone please get me a campaign t-shirt please?

Its Official. Brittany Is In For X Factor

Its official! A few weeks ago I told you that Ms. Brittany Spears was in talks to join Simon Cowell on the new X Factor this summer and well last night she signed along the dotted line for 16 million dollars. 

Yes thats right. She will be paid 16 million dollars to tell people if they can sing or not. 

Sometimes life is just not fair.

Thank You Mr. President

Thank you Mr. President for making this statement and starting the task of bringing our country into 2012. 

I got this email from his campaign last night:

"Today, I was asked a direct question and gave a direct answer:

I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

I hope you'll take a moment to watch the conversation, consider it, and weigh in yourself on behalf of marriage equality.

I've always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. I was reluctant to use the term marriage because of the very powerful traditions it evokes. And I thought civil union laws that conferred legal rights upon gay and lesbian couples were a solution.

But over the course of several years I've talked to friends and family about this. I've thought about members of my staff in long-term, committed, same-sex relationships who are raising kids together. Through our efforts to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, I've gotten to know some of the gay and lesbian troops who are serving our country with honor and distinction.

What I've come to realize is that for loving, same-sex couples, the denial of marriage equality means that, in their eyes and the eyes of their children, they are still considered less than full citizens.

Even at my own dinner table, when I look at Sasha and Malia, who have friends whose parents are same-sex couples, I know it wouldn't dawn on them that their friends' parents should be treated differently.

So I decided it was time to affirm my personal belief that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

I respect the beliefs of others, and the right of religious institutions to act in accordance with their own doctrines. But I believe that in the eyes of the law, all Americans should be treated equally. And where states enact same-sex marriage, no federal act should invalidate them.

If you agree, you can stand up with me here.

Thank you, Barack"

Great Maurice Sendak Quotes

There are many reasons to love the late Maurice Sendak but the reason that I loved him and his work the most is because he never sugar coated things. He was real. He told people exactly how he thought and how he felt and never once apologized for them. There is something to be said about living a life like that. Take a look at some of his best quotes:

"I don't believe in children. I don't believe in childhood. I don't believe that there's a demarcation 'Oh you mustn't tell them that. You mustn't tell them that' You tell them anything you want. Just tell them if it's true. If it's true you tell them"

"You know who my gods are, who I believe in fervently? Herman Melville, Emily Dickinson- she's probably the top-- Mozart, Shakespeare, Keats. These are wonderful gods who have gotten me through the narrow straits of life"

"Fuck them is what I say. I hate those e-books. They cannot be the future. They may well be. I will be dead. I won't give a shit"

"I'm writing a poem right now about a nose. I've always wanted to write a poem about a nose. But its a ludirious subject. That's why, when I was younger, I was afraid of writing something that didn't make a lot of sense. But now I'm not. I have nothing to worry about. It doesn't matter."

"I think that it is unnatural to think that there is such a thing as blue-sky, white-clouded happy childhood for anybody. Childhood is a very, very tricky business of surviving it. Because if one thing goes wrong or anything goes wrong, and usually something goes wrong, then you are compromised as a human being. You're going to trip over that for a good part of your life."

"A woman came up to me the other day and said 'You're the kiddie-book man'! Mr. Sendak told Vanity Fair. "I wanted to kill her."

"There are so many beautiful things in the world which I will have to leave when I die, but I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready."

"Life your life. Live your life. Live your life."

"It is a blessing to get old. It is a blessing to find the time to do the things, to read the books, to listen to the music..... I have nothing now but praise for my life."

"There must be more to life than having everything."

"I would infinitely prefer a daughter. If I had a son, I would leave him at the A&P or some other big advertising place where somebody who needs a kid would find him and he would be all right... A daughter would be drawn to me. A daughter would want to help me. Girls are infinitely more complicated than boys, and women more than men. And there's no doubt about that. We just don't like to think about it. Certainly the men don't like to think about it. I have lived my life with a dream daughter."

"Children are tough, though we tend to think of them as fragile. They have to be tough. Childhood is not easy. We sentimentalize children, but they know what's real and what's not. They understand metaphor and symbol. If children are different from us, they are more spontaneous. Grown-up lives have become overlaid with dross."

"I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can't stop them. They leave me and I love them more."

"Children do live in a fantasy and reality; they move back and forth very easily in a way we no longer remember how to do."

"They (children) have written to me. They trust me in a way, I daresay, possibly more than they trust their parents. I'm not going to bullshit them. I'm just not. And if they don't like what they hear, that's tough bananas."

"Kids don't know about best sellers. They go for what they enjoy. They aren't star chasers and they don't suck up. Its why I like them."

"I believe there is no part of our lives, our adult as well as child life, when we're not fantasizing, but prefer to relegate fantasy to children, as though it were some tomfoolery only fit for the immature minds of the young. Children do live in fantasy and reality; they move back and forth very easily in a way we no longer remember how to do."

Never Give Up. Ever.

I needed this today. A reminder that no matter who you are, what situation you are in... never ever give up. 

Watch this video.

Cause This Bird You Can Not Change!

Seriously this happened last night. While the song choice of FreeBird would not have been my pick for Juliet for her final song of the finale. She did it and well.... she did a beautiful job. 

I don't know about you but I totally was singing along with her on my couch last night. 

I really hope she wins tonight. Fingers crossed!!!

(And yes I hated the bluegrass version of Jay-Z's 99 Problems that Tony Lucca did. I don't know what the big fuss over that dude is. He tries too damn hard. )

Juliet on the other hand sings effortlessly! And what can I say about that outfit! That dress was badass. Especially when it shot straight up in the air.

Go Juliet Go!