The Real Pat Blair

So, the Thursday show (the 29th) at the Bali is going to be 21+.  No one is happy about this, except possibly Ames Law Enforcement Officals.  I’m sorry if you were underage and planning on coming.  Stand outside the window and gawk, maybe?
Next time we play will be all ages.  I promise.

If you haven’t heard or seen, Matt and Nancy expecting are expecting their first little rock star, who is expected to take the stage in about mid-July.  Matt seems to think that his new responsibilities, combined with not sleeping ever, are going to slow down his contribution to the Rock and Roll community here in Ames, and he’s probably right.  So we decided to throw a party.
This THURSDAY, June 29th, at the Bali Satay House in Ames, IA, will be the Final Lone Strangers Show Ever (For a Little While).  The music will start at 9:30 and the Strangers will take the stage at 10:15 (we even wiggled it so that it’s not to late for all of you whiners that have to “go to bed” so that you can “wake up in the morning” to go to “work”).  Starting the night off, and playing between other bands sets will be Isaac Hayden, a singer songwriter from Wyoming.  After the Strangers, there are two more band, both from Kansas, Distance to Empty and The Kennedy Luck Club (who I met last time they were in Ames - very nice folks, and a great band).
The show is essentially all ages, with a $5 cover.  I have revamped the PA in the Bali a bit, so, if it is run correctly, you should be able to hear every word we sing.  Amazing.
So come rock, celebrate, roll, stay up past your bedtime, and have a good time.  We’ll see you there.

The headline says it all:

Hawkeye charged with OWI on moped
…According to police reports, Postler was charged around 1:57 a.m. while driving a moped with a passenger. A breath test registered .110…

No word on whether the driver or passenger were wearing helmets.

So say that, in theory, there was a possibility that the Lone Strangers would play on a random Thursday night from 11:15-Midnight.  Is that too late on a weeknight?  Would you be able to attend, or is it past your bedtime?

Today I got an email granting, pending payment, permission for about 80% of the songs on our album.  We’re almost there!

The (r)evolution continues…

Fourth post of the day… dang.  I’m on a role.
You might not remember, but I hate James Blunt.  Mainly because he sucks, but there are other reasons, too.  Sucking is just the primary one.  Did I mention that I think he sucks?
Anyway, Weird Al, one of my heroes, has re-worked You’re Beautiful, and posted it for download: You’re Pitiful.  The song is, as I have come to expect from my buddy Al, marvelous, and well worth the slow download (it took me all afternoon at 400bytes/second - not 400K, 400 BYTES).
The song is clever, slap-stick, and exceptionally harsh.  I’m pretty sure it was recorded with my buddy James in mind.  Who, by the way, sucks.

You’re pitiful, you’re pitiful
You’re pitiful, it’s true
You’re half-undressed, eating chips off your chest
While you’re playing Halo 2
No one’s classier than you

Most of my regular readers have never heard of Stereogum, an indie music blog that I frequent.  It allows me catch up on the music opinions of people much cooler than I.  Scott, the author, loves Death Cab For Cutie and Sufjan Stevens (as do I), and it’s a great place to get mp3s of new/interesting music.
Today he posted a live mp3 of a new Beck song, along with the invitation to clean up the audio.  I listened, thought to myself, “Hey, I am an incredible recording engineer with many great tunes under my belt, I can do that!”  So I did.  It sounded not too bad considering the small amount of time that I spent on it, so I emailed them the new mp3.  It got posted (hooray!) along with a big ol’ link to this here humble blog (uh-oh!).
Since, as of late, there isn’t much here but a bunch of smart remarks, controversial political musings, basketball-league updates, and sweet moustache pictures, I thought that maybe I should put up a welcome for any ‘gummers that stop by.
Welcome!
And while you’re here, feel free to check out my sweet (very non-indie) band, The Lone Strangers, be our fake internet myspace friends, and make lots of rude observations (I expect some fans, though, seeing how many of you dig Face to Face’s cover of Big Country (which is amazing)).  Thanks for stopping by!

From foxnews.com:

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Al Qaeda in Iraq leader who led a brutal insurgency that included homicide bombings, kidnappings and beheadings, was killed in an airstrike on a building north of Baghdad, U.S. and Iraqi officials announced Thursday…
Loud applause broke out at a press conference in Baghdad as (Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri) Al-Maliki, flanked by U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and U.S. Gen. George Casey, the top commander in Iraq, announced that “Zarqawi was terminated.”
President George W. Bush later added, “Terrorize THIS, punk.”

OK, I might have made up that last part.  I’d say, though, that this is an important moral victory for the US.  However, I posted on it because I want to make two predictions.
First: I bet that lefty bloggers will characterize this as a political move.  ‘Oh, we knew where he was all along, Bush just did this NOW to drive up his approval rating and help in the fall elections.’  This is silly, of course, because it is currently June, and no one will remember this by November.  I wouldn’t be surprised if there are already internet rumblings, though (I haven’t checked - it would just annoy me).
Second: as the Fox News article mentions about 1/3 of the way down, six other people were killed in the strike, including a woman and child.  This is sad and unfortunate, even if (or especially because) our enemy is one that straps bombs to women and children, turning them into offensive weapons.  War is a miserable thing, and this is one of the many reasons why.  No one wants to see children killed - no one.  But I bet that you start to hear these casualties being used as political ammunition in the next week or so.
I really hope I’m wrong on both counts, but I’ll probably be able to make the “ahead of the curve” post in about 24 hours.  I think that really says a lot about the state of our country, especially the loudmouths with blogs.
Wait, does that include me, too?

Sometimes…
…you are overwhelmed, and feel as though writing a song is the only way to get it all out.
…you are out of words, and unable to write said song.
…you can’t make it on your own.
…you instead choose to redesign your blog, for the third time in as many days, to prove that you, too, can learn CSS (or at least do an adequate job of ripping it off).
…some days are better than others.

The Primary election takes place Tuesday, June 6th (tomorrow), in Ames, Iowa.  I recommend finding your ward and precinct, and then looking up a sample ballot so that you can be prepared when you vote.
Furthermore, I recommend that if you see on your sample ballot, as I did on mine, that the positions of State Senator District 23 and State Representative District 45 are open, that you write in a name.  I recommend that name be Patrick Blair.  I think I would do a great job.  Heck, I even changed my blog theme.  I recommend that the Republican Party put forth a candidate and put it’s foot down, and I think that I am just the foot to do it.  So there.
Lastly, I recommend that you ignore that Tuesday’s date is 06-06-06.  Especially if I end up on a ballot.  I’m sure it’s meaningless.