Friday, March 21, 2014

Late Dinner, Inept Cashiers And A Lot Of Hipsters

This past Monday night I was able to leave work to get some late dinner. Since I wanted something quick I decided to go across the street to Wendys even though their service has left a lot to be desired in the past. I won't be making that mistake again. There was one person in front of me and she quickly moved aside and went to get her condiments. The staff mostly stood there waiting for her order and after a few minutes the cashier told me he would be with me in a few moments. He again moved around and a few more minutes later he again told me he would be with me in a few moments and proceeded to go out the door and into the side area. After a few minutes more without seeing him return I walked out the door muttering to myself about how a good chunk of my dinner break was being wasted.

I walked back over through the parking garage to my truck and decided to make the drive to McDonalds. Once there the cashier couldn't seem to get my order right and had to have assistance with the register. Once it was rung up I could tell by the price that it still wasn't correct. She had charged me for the sandwich and not the meal as I had ordered, like I always order it. This took a little more time for them to void the order and enter it in correctly. Eventually I got my food and after sitting down I started to notice the people that were coming into the store. The place was filling up with hipsters dressed in varying shades of green. There was even a forty-five-ish lady with a lime green wig on.

I had totally forgotten that it was St. Patrick's Day and this McDonalds was in an area with a lot of bars around it. Let me be upfront with this, I don't like for hipsters. I have no time to spend on people who wear something be it clothing or glasses or whatever just to be "in" or cool or for whatever kind of validation they are searching for. I tend to be pragmatic . If it's cold outside I dress for the weather not for how I look. You'll never see me buying expensive jeans or trendy shirts. I'm fairly boring in that aspect. My wife says that I'm difficult to buy for because I want something plain and simple without giving free advertising to the company. No emblems or slogans or what have you. Look, I know what I like and at some point I'll find it. That's why it's best to let me find what I want for my birthday or Christmas.

Anyway, back to my disdain for hipsters. They are vile and evil. No really. To be a hipster be definition means you have to be fake and only care about an image so why would I want to spend my time around a person like that? I'm trying to follow the advice of Joe Rogan who has said many times to surround yourself with cool people and by that he means those that accept you for who you are and that you enjoy being around. No drama queens, no energy vampires and certainly no trendy image conscious hipsters. Life is far too short for that kind of game. Of course right now I can't do that with work but in every other aspect that's what I'm trying to do. It's a goal and something to strive for so at least I've got that going for me. So life can't all be bad.



Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Roadie For The Night

Last Saturday night I was lucky enough to roadie for my friends in the band Alloy. They haven't played out in a while so it was good for them to get out there and just do it. Unfortunately not a lot of people showed up. It was a strange night at the Venue Shrine They had been informed that there were to be three or four bands playing but it turned out that Alloy was the only one, followed by a Latin dance birthday party and then a jam session. Very odd combination indeed.


By the time Alloy finished playing there were more people there but they were mostly for the Latin party. It was a surreal image to see this rock band with a few fans in attendance and about twenty people dressed up (and not actually dancing I might add) and then the folks who were showing up for the jam session all occupying the same space.

The best part for me was just hanging out before and after with the guys (along with Tom's son Chris) and ripping on each other. Whenever we get together the jokes fly and pretty much nothing is sacred. It's what you'd call a good old fashioned sausage hang and it reminds me so much of my college days. Turned out to be a good relaxing night and a great stress releaver which was sorely needed.

More times like these are needed and less of the things that bring me stress but there's not much I can do about that. Gotta make the money to pay for everyday life, right? Sadly that is true.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Not Dead Yet - New Lyrics

This one is a fairly simple concept to grasp. People put you down, look down on you like you are a lesser being but all that does is allow you to pass them by. The negativity weighs them down and provides fuel for the fire. It's about playing the cards you are dealt and being defiant to the end. How did it come to be? I was listening to the Kpunk podcast and let my mind drift, just picking up on ideas and words at random when what would become the chorus started to come together. As quick as I could I got back to my desk and started typing. Every so often I would come back and add a little or make small changes. Before long it was done. Not much more to say than that.

            Not Dead Yet

I’ve lasted longer than everyone else
Longer than I’ve a right to
Never would have guessed it
By the example I’d been given
It always seemed a downward spiral
Would be my lonely soliloquy

              Chorus

I’m not dead yet
No matter what you thought
No matter what you heard
No matter what you wanted
I’m not dead, not dead
Don’t write me off
I’m not dead yet

Always so willing to shine the light
Shortcomings sparkle in the glare
Tell me as time passed you by
What occupied your mind
The ne’er do well you never cared for
Surpassed the trail you blazed

               Repeat chorus

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Ten For Tuesday Episode 055



Hopefully I have my laptop fixed and it won't crap out on me as I try and upload this episode. Like I said, hopefully. Anyway, the music is all good and once again from all over the place. Different styles, different countries but all of it so very nice. I've played Southport two episodes in a row and probably will play them again next time. They're that good so go and check them out. And yes, I know I pronounced Aeropajitas wrong but I wasn't about to go back and re-record this again, not with the cold I've got rearing it's ugly head as well as the aforementioned laptop problems. Take it for what it is, a podcast with some really interesting and cool music.

Southport  - Kings
Superfluo – La Marcha del Homo Sapiens
Sammy Kay And The East Los Three – Something, Someday
HAERTS – All The Days
Beirut – Vagabond
Las Ligas Menores – Renault Fuego
The ‘Tone – Over And Out
Ted Leo And The Pharmacists – Ativan Eyes
Sublime With Rome – Murdera
Aeropajitas – Resistencia

Ten For Tuesday is a podcast dedicated to playing the music I couldn't find anywhere else. The music I like varies from style to style, genre to genre and era to era. You will hear punk, ska, rock, Americana, metal, country, rockabilly and more from all over the world. It doesn't matter if it's a major label or indie as long as I like it then it gets played. The motto is Less Talk More Music which means you won't hear me waxing poetic for fifteen minutes between songs. At TFT its all about the music...and me of course.

Email: tenfortuesday@gmail.com Twitter: @notmovingpics
Blog: www.notmovingpictures.blogspot.com

Old episodes can be found by searching for Ten For Tuesday at www.archive.org.
 
Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Even More New Lyrics: Don't Want To Fade Away

So yeah, I've written some more lyrics. This one is about whatever you think it's about, whatever makes sense to you, whatever you get out of it. Simple enough, right?

Don't Want To Fade Away

I’ve became a prisoner
In my own mind
Consumed by darkness
Of my own making
Held frozen in indecision
Sick of where I am
Afraid to take a step
Outside my safety zone

My blood is boiling
My resolve fractured
Don’t want to fade away
Fade away
Don’t want to fade away
Fade away
Can’t live my life this way

Disciplines lack apparent
Dreams hastily set aside
Is it any wonder
My time is drawing short
Not hard to give up
When the pattern sets hard
Feet glued in place
Promise dies by resistance

My blood is boiling
My resolve fractured
Feel myself fading away
Fading away
Feel myself fading away
Fading away
How do I live this way

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Ten For Tuesday Episode 054

This episode finds music from all over the world, from Peru to Brazil to England to Puerto Rico and the U.S. There is some obscure stuff here which is an area that I am starting to delve into more and more and to be honest I think all of this music should be better known than it is. Of course nobody cares what I think especially giant corporations so screw 'em. I'll keep finding cool music that I like and taking a chance that a very small audience might just like it too.



Havana 3am - Joyride
Southport - Fade Away
The 'Tone - Lost Generation
Cuchillazo - La Maquina
Ponto 50 - Brasil
Black Spiders - Just Like A Woman
The Treatment - The Doctor
Iron Chic - Spooky Action At A Distance
Dogos - Deja De Correr
The Lambrettas - Another Day, Another Girl

Ten For Tuesday is a podcast dedicated to playing the music I couldn't find anywhere else. The music I like varies from style to style, genre to genre and era to era. You will hear punk, ska, rock, Americana, metal, country, rockabilly and more from all over the world. It doesn't matter if it's a major label or indie as long as I like it then it gets played. The motto is Less Talk More Music which means you won't hear me waxing poetic for fifteen minutes between songs. At TFT its all about the music...and me of course.

Email: tenfortuesday@gmail.com Twitter: @notmovingpics 
Blog: www.notmovingpictures.blogspot.com

Old episodes can be found by searching for Ten For Tuesday at www.archive.org.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.