Thunderbolt

Tonight I was given this Journey tour program from their 1983 "Frontiers" tour. I went to this concert with my friend, Matt B., who passed away nearly 12 years ago. We went to the show with his mom and sat behind the stage. That was fine by me because I got a better view of Steve Smith playing drums. Bryan Adams was an up and comer and the opening act. Matt's brother gave this to me. I will treasure it.

This was written soon after the death of my brother-in-law, Seann. It' been five years since he left us. The void of his loss still stings. -- SM I could sense a presence at the foot of my bed; someone standing there, waiting for me to wake up. Raising my head, my eyes fought their way through the haze caused by the alcohol and turkey I’d consumed the night before. It was my brother-in-law, Seann, dressed in his motorcycle jacket and his backpack hanging over one shoulder. His mouth curled into the cocksure smile that never seemed to leave his face. The night before, Thanksgiving, he’d joined us for a feast at my brother’s house. We hadn’t seen him in a while and it was a pleasure to catch up. All in attendance came from my sister-in-law’s side of the family and I always found it beautiful that Seann could effortlessly fit in with them.   Just as they had welcomed Julie and me into their lives many years ago, they did the same with Seann. It helped that he was so personable an...

The Indians are about to begin the American League Championship Series, and I've been listening to a lot of Coldplay for something I'm writing. Whenever I hear the band, I instantly think of "Fix You" and this post I wrote for Popdose 5 years ago. Here are two phrases I never thought I’d say in this year: “The Indians swept the Red Sox” and “Cleveland is in first place.” Hope  springs eternal each spring when Major League Baseball begins its season. We fans are optimistic even when our team is mid-market and does not have the gargantuan payroll of ESPN favorites like the Yankees and Phillies. A scrappy group of aging vets and wet behind the ears youngsters can show the world that you don’t have to be the richest team to succeed; you can develop talent in the farm leagues and make savvy trades. Yeah, that’s what we fans of smaller market teams tell ourselves each year before the first pitch is thrown. Springtime is a season full of hope in our household, no...

The Waco Kid has ridden off into the sunset. RIP Mr. Gene Wilder. Thank you for the decades of laughter.

The Shot.

This violence HAS to end. There must be a place for commonsense gun control. How many more of our brothers, sisters, friends and children have to die before someone does something? Prayers to the LGBTQ community and the people of Orlando.

Hi. The Valencia Great Strides walk for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is 10 days away. We're inching toward our fundraising goal, but we still need help. I know what you're thinking, because heck, I've thought it myself at times. "I don't have a lot of money to give, so how can it possibly help." My friends, every bit helps. I will use Bernie Sanders as an example.  Not his politics, because this is definitely not about that, but the success of his campaign. Regardless of what you think of Mr. Sanders, he has raised A LOT of money through small donations. People with limited means believe in his cause and give what they can. THAT is what I'm talking about. Most of the money that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundations takes in goes directly into research. So... every bit counts, no matter what the amount. This year, Julie's school held two bake sales, selling cookies and Rice Krispie treats. They sold for a buck each. She doesn't work at a large school an...