you're a stranger, so what do i care?
today at church, there was a special service for police men/women, firefighters, and emergency rescue workers. because my grandpa was a fireman back in the day, he was formally recognized and we got to sit with him and my grandma in the front of the church (it was reserved for family members). at the beginning of the mass, one of the knights of columbus played his bagpipes, and it was so awesome. i don't think i've ever experienced it like that, first-hand. sometime during the mass, i looked down at my grandparents and they were holding hands. it made me smile.

i go through album stages:
june/july = hail to the thief
august = day i forgot/ten
september = louder than bombs/thirteenth step

i went to the salvation army a couple weeks ago, and splurged on old cassette tapes. while i was in line at the register, there was a mother holding her baby behind me, and the child's eyes lit up when i looked at her. i smiled and she got that huge, tooth-less baby grin on her face and started stuttering out babble. then she started saying, "da da!" um, maybe the child's father has long hair?

i had a great time on friday night. seeing everyone back from college was nice. if only danielle had come with us to coney island! but she escaped early. however, i had a most spectacular time talking with everyone else and catching up on "times past." later in the night, we all sorta broke off, and people went home and stuff, but i stayed with rachelle and jackie. they convinced me to eat a melting moments ice cream cookie sandwich... which was a terrible idea. never will i do it again. but it was a fun time nonetheless.

it's getting dark out earlier and earlier every night. it's crisp and cool, leaves are changing color, and it smells like fall is upon us. i love it. what a great world it is, when the seasons change and bring such beautiful variety to nature.

last night i watched this A&E concert series thing, featuring paul mccartney live in moscow. it was amazing how many people came to see him. the crowd never ended, it was just masses of people, everywhere. he played a bunch of his beatles songs and he sounded great. but besides the actual concert, the show consisted of interviews with russian musicians and politicians who had to live through the communist times when westernized music (like the beatles) was outlawed in russia, and they were all so excited when they were finally able to buy the beatle albums. there were also clips of paul walking through cities in russia, going to run-down schools with under-privledged students, and talking to the kids, listening to them play music. he seems so down-to-earth, and he even said that the reason people like the beatles so much is because they weren't god-like at all, they were normal people, just like their fans. for some reason, i can't see some jack ass like eminem or puff daddy doing the same thing. they'd be too busy showing off their "crib" on mtv. that's why i like bands like the beatles so much. that's why i can't stand the music we have nowadays. but i'm gonna save that rant for another entry. i have things brewing in my head all about our assinine culture, and soon i'm gonna open up like a faucet and let it all flow out on paper. just give me a couple days. i'm excited. are you?

Fact and fiction work as a team.