Girl, You're So Groovy I Want You To Know

I just had one of the most amazing experiences in my life thus far. We started playing music for the baby by putting headphones up to Jilly’s belly. We keep the volume low, making sure it wasn’t too loud. Everyone we’ve talked to has said that this is a great way to instill rhythm, melody and artistic taste – all while in utero.

Anyway, during the first chorus of “Debaser” by the Pixies, baby started rocking out. Taking a cue from dad, he/she landed his/her first rock ’n roll kick square to Jilly’s gut. And right at the perfect spot in the song, too. You know the place…right where Black Francis screams, “I Am Un…Chien.” The kick occurred right on the downbeat…perfect. That’s my boy/girl.

Mirrors

The day began like many others before it. A pulsating buzz married to an excruciatingly loud, painfully blunt Top-40 song sliced through sleep like it was never there to begin with. The room is dark, shades drawn, but the forcibly contrived scenario performed by the airtime-embellished voices now emanating from the dual 4-inch speakers on his nightstand illuminates the dungeon in which he retires.

A spotlight on a shallow soul.

He makes his way out of bed to the bathroom, stumbling over loose floorboards, walking with the tangled grace of someone much older than his twenty-nine years. With every step, a creak. With every creak, a pause, a promise to step lighter. His journey through the hallway is marked by a regiment of photographs. Framed, held captive behind panes of glass, the images depict someone other than the man walking the hall at this moment. The person in these photos appears young, healthy and at ease among friends.

Shortly after his feet exchange wide-plank knotty pine for the infinitely colder tile of the bathroom, he finds himself facing a familiar foe. As far as he’s concerned, mirrors are the tell-tale sign, the absolute reflection of self worth. Unfiltered and unadulterated, a mirror doesn’t lie. At least not the way people do.

As he’s fixed onto the transference of lines, colors and textures reflected in the smudgy glass that hangs above porcelain, he notices movements don’t match. He raises a hand upward, but the foil’s corresponding limb remains firmly planted on his side. A delicate tilt of the head results in a spiteful grin on a statuesque reflection. The lines sprouting from angled eyes are slightly deeper, even more sinister than his own. He is now aware that the subject staring out from the tainted glass is not himself. Someone different, but someone dangerously familiar. Abraham Crowley is not alone.

Rapunzel (Take #2)

Well, it’s long overdue, but here it is. The first new song in quite some time. I couldn’t figure out how to upload a file that was larger than 5MB, so I edited the song a bit. I think I like it better than the original version. I hope you enjoy it.

Digital. Fictional. Peyton Manning.

For some reason, at this moment, my mind is splintered in three directions, so this post will be three-pronged. There is something truly beautiful about a tripod. Like how if one leg were to give, the whole structure would come crashing down. But working together, all three legs support the common purpose - that of elevating, or keeping something up. A three-legged structure is also the most secure structure. With that in mind, think of this entry as a tripod.

First, the idea of writing a novel has been tempting me for quite some time. I have never really endeavored into writing fiction, but I’ve been compiling storylines for past few months or so. I think I’ve now got a pretty solid story, so I’ve begun character development and a draft of the first chapter. What I’m struggling with, however, is how to go about distributing the novel upon its completion. I know, I’m probably putting the cart before the horse, but in case you haven’t noticed, I like to make everything I write, music or otherwise, as accessible as possible - meaning free of charge. Distribution of the novel, will most likely be paper-free and internet-based. If anyone has a good idea about how to go about doing this in an efficient manner, please let me know.

Secondly, I’ve entered the world of digital music with the addition of an iPod. Some of you are probably thinking that it’s about time! Actually, I had been adamantly opposed to the gadget du jour until I was given one last week as a gift. I must say, I stand corrected about everything negative I’ve ever said about the iPod. Mine is being loaded with my Elliott Smith collection as I type this.

Finally, Peyton Manning is at the top of my shit-list. Forget Tom Brady. Forget Dick Cheney. Forget everyone. Peyton Manning, you are dead to me.

The Long, Hard Road

After too many years, off and on, my undergraduate college career came to a close this afternoon. I’ve written my last term paper, made my last commute, and taken my last exam. The time I spent at IUP holds many great memories for me. I made many lasting friendships, including meeting my wife, and essentially grew up on that campus. Looking back at my decision to finish what I started in the fall of 1996, I believe I made the right choice.

I begin my internship at a prominent Pittsburgh communications firm on Monday. If I told you I wasn’t a little nervous I’d be lying. I have the education, but as anyone in the field will inevitably warn you, I hope I have the “it” factor necessary to succeed in such a creative and competitive industry. I guess we’ll find out next week.

Jilly’s last day of class is also today, so we’ll be celebrating at the Pub tonight. Why don’t you stop by and buy us a beer? Cheers.

All Good Things

After a week off for spring break, I returned today to my normal routine. It was definitely nice not having class last week, although I worked like a mofo in a futile attempt to scrape together some scratch. Underpaid and overworked. The story of my life.

Today was a good day though. I received a phone call from an internship site I’m very interested in. They pay their interns extremely well and are THE prominent global PR firm. I’m going in for a writing test tomorrow afternoon. It helps that I have a contact on the inside. Networking is key.

We’re still waiting to hear back with respect to the offer we placed on the house. Hopefully we’ll know something very soon. Jilly and I are both new to the “home buying” process, so we’re taking it very slow and utilizing the expertise of my Grandma. In addition to being the world’s greatest Grandma, she also happens to be an awesome realtor and spiritual guru. Hi Nan!

Today’s Tip: Always change your shoes at least twice a day.

You Know You're a Grown-Up

You know you’re a grown-up when you find yourself considering the purchase of a home. Jilly and I found one we really like. This may be the one. A big part of me enjoys being a responsible adult, but at the same time a small part longs for the “fly by night” days of my youth.

Now that we’re completely stressed and nervous and excited and anxious all at the same time, we’re going next door for some relaxation cocktails. Oh, yeah. Tonight from 9-10:30 the Pub will be giving away free beer (Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks) for an Irish beer promotion. Don’t wait up.

Save Your Breath

This is a song that came together in a relatively short time. It’s funny how some songs take forever to mature and others just pour out in the matter of an hour or so. This song also marks the first time I’ve used inanimate objects for percussion purposes. I think I’ll definitely be using wine glasses again in the future. Here you go.

Canine Noir

I’ve been keeping this online journal for about four months now and I’ve never formally introduced you to my favorite non-human. Ladies and gentlemen, Monty Elliott. Jilly and I adopted Monty Elliott on August 26th, 2003 from the Humane Society of western Pennsylvania.

If you are considering getting a pet, I highly recommend adopting from a shelter. Monty was in pretty bad shape when we adopted him, but we nursed him back to health and the rest is history. A year and a half later, Monty is a healthy and energetic lab/terrier puppy.

I think of him as a son. I get proud when he does something good like piss really fast when its freezing outside. I get sad when he does something unacceptable like rip open a pillow from the Livingroom couch. For the most part he is very well behaved and listens intently.

He can be intense at times, and I like that. He loves people and gets so excited when new people come over, but makes for a great guard dog when someone attempts to enter uninvited. Living on the northside of Pittsburgh, this is a good trait to have. Our friend Katie made the mistake of coming in through our back door and he almost swallowed her whole.

Don’t worry, he didn’t bite her, but he scared her more than the Bush administration scares me on a daily basis.

And now a message from Monty: “For all you bitches out there, I like long walks through the park, Kibbles and Bits from the can (only every so often as a delicacy), playing fetch and licking myself in my nether-region. I’m single and looking for that special lady to party with. I’m fixed so I won’t knock you up. Interested parties can EMAIL me through my Dad and he will relay the message. I’ll hit you back. Word.

A Note of Thanks

I just wanted to thank everyone who came out to the show at Club Cafe last night. I had a lot of fun, although I felt my vocals were a little off due to this dreaded cold I’ve fighting for the last few days. It was really nice to see Jake and Arielle, old neighbors of ours that recently moved across town into swanky new digs.

I’m not sure when the next show will be, as school is really starting to pick up. The research papers, discourse analyses and interpretive theses are coming one after the other with no sign of slowing down. Graduation is on May 7th. I don’t know if I can make it.

Reclusive Ramblings

It’s cold. It’s cold and the snow is coming down. I haven’t left my apartment all day, and most likely won’t. The terrible driving conditions prevented me from making it to my early class this morning, as I was not about to risk life and limb for a discussion about social Darwinism. As fascinating a topic as social Darwinism is, it’s not worth the white knuckle experience.

I lied. I may just leave my apartment later today and head down to Blogfest at Finnegan’s Wake. Six o’clock if anyone’s interested. Luckily I don’t need to drive there because it’s only a few blocks away, across the park.

My favorite watering hole was in the news yesterday. The PGH Post-Gazette did a story on “Third Places” and they profiled the Pub.

The inauguration is tomorrow. The more I think about it, I can’t believe Amerika elected this guy. What’s worse is that the next four years hasn’t even started yet. I get really depressed thinking about it. The direction this country is headed toward is devolution. Regression rears its ugly head. I have some thoughts about how to reverse the cycle, but I’ll leave them for another day.

I tried to record a bit today but I was playing like shit. I have a new song that’s pretty complex, both rhythmically and melodically. I got frustrated and decided to do other things like vacuum, smoke cigarettes and stare at this computer screen. What a sexy life I live.

The Swallow

If this song sounds familiar, it’s because the demo version was on the “LeapYear EP” that Michael and I put out last year. This version is different in the fact that there is some piano and reed organ. I feel the vocals are stronger as well. Hope you likey!

New Music (Sort of)

Now that the semester is over, I’ll have much more time to concentrate on writing and recording new material. Because I haven’t uploaded new music in quite some time, I’ve decided to post a previously unreleased song that I recorded a while ago. It’s a completely different vibe than the new stuff I’m writing, as it is performed by the band I was playing with at the time. I hope you like it.

Credits: Words and Music by Jeffrey D. Inscho Recorded at Mountainside Studio Engineered and Mixed by Rich Ruscigno and Jeffrey

Dimebag Darrell RIP

Some of you may have heard by now about the shooting in Columbus, Ohio last night. The shooting, at a Damageplan (x-Pantera) show, left 4 dead and more injured. Among the dead was the influential and highly underrated guitarist, Dimebag Darrell. This is a sad occurrence and my heart goes out to all that were affected by this complete disregard for human life.

Those of you who know me well know that I love metal music, although I’ve evolved into writing and listening to a different genre. Early on in my musical journey I cut my teeth on the likes of Metallica, Megadeath and Pantera. When I was in the seventh grade, my first band ever covered the Pantera song “This Love” off of their 2nd album A Vulgar Display of Power. I remember that song being the highlight of the set at our first show, inciting a degree of moshing only exceeded by Pantera playing the song themselves. I was fortunate to have been able to see Pantera play twice. Each time the energy, emotion and technical skill were outstanding. Their ability to energize an audience goes unmatched.

Dimebag Darrell’s guitar style was aggressive, methodical and unrelenting, teaching me the importance of using intensity as a tool to convey emotion through music. This is a lesson that I’ve always remembered and taken with me into any project I’ve been involved with, regardless of genre. While I’ve been out of the metal loop for quite some time, I feel sad about the events of last night. My only hope is that this incident will not tarnish metal’s image of being a relatively non-violent method of expression. Rest in Peace, Dimebag. We miss you already.

Those Damn Latte Liberals

John McIntire writes a rather amusing article about the political orientation of the average Starbucks patron in this week’s Pittsburgh City Paper. As I live the dream each and every day, I can attest to the authenticity and accuracy of his words.

He hits the nail on the head (or should I say pours the perfect shots?) when he describes the way many customers confide in their barista. We are basically highly underpaid psychologists. Just yesterday, one of my regulars found out he’d gotten his girlfriend pregnant and wanted MY opinion of what he should do. Within the past three years, I’d have to say that I’ve formed this type of relationship with about 20 regular customers. They are few and far between because most of my clientele doesn’t want to hear my opinion regarding the weather, let alone my 2 cents about their life. These few personal relationships that have emerged are what make dealing with the other shit worthwhile.

Can A Smart Person Believe In God?

I was watching Heartland w/ John Kasich the other night and an interesting topic was being discussed. The segment was entitled, “Can a smart person believe in God?”. Author Michael Giullen was the guest expert of the segment, having just penned a book of the same name. The discussion made me ponder the question. Is an intelligent person able to believe in a supreme entity that displays no physical proof of existing in the first place?

I first thought about the question subjectively. I consider myself somewhat intelligent, although some of you might disagree. I also consider myself a spiritual person, albeit not conforming to one specific organized religion. If I must be labeled, I would consider myself Tibetan-Buddhist, only because it falls in line with MY belief system. As to address the question stated above, I feel one would be a fool to not concede that there is some additional force at work in this universe other than that of humans. Be it nature, be it Allah, be it Karma, be it God, be it science. To suggest that a greater force does not exist displays ignorance, narcism and stupidity.

I think that religious people are deemed “not smart” or ignorant because the overwhelming majority condemn beliefs that are not in line with their own. This, in turn, makes them seem less intelligent because they are unwilling to understand a different point of view. I’ve been told many times that I will burn in hell because I do not accept Jesus Christ as my lord and savior. In my opinion, we mislabel religious people as ignorant. They are not ignorant because they believe, but because they are intolerant.

I understand that certain religions are less accepting of others. It shouldn’t be that way. If you look at a cross section of the major religions on this planet, they all teach tolerance, forgiveness and love. All religions are beautiful in their own right. It’s when intolerant fundamentalists hijack a belief system that religion gets a bad name. So to answer the question, I believe that a smart person can believe in a God-like entity, but it is a truly wise person that also realizes there are, often times, more than one answer to a question.

A Belated Weekend Wrap-Up

This past weekend was eventful. Friday and Saturday evening saw me working like a mofo ‘cause a brotha’s gotta pay rent. I was made aware on Saturday that, for the first time in the three years I’ve been working for the company, I’ll be receiving a X-mas bonus. Starbucks really does get a bad wrap when it comes to employee compensation. I may not agree with many of their business practices, but for the most part they’ve taken good care of yours truly.

On to Sunday. I actually had a day off and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Jilly and I started off with brunch then proceeded to fight the crowds at the mall. I now intend on doing all my X-mas shopping online, as I had my fill of the Amerikan retail orgy in the hour I spent in line to buy my aunt a gift.

After the mall, Jilly and I participated in the quintessential holiday activity, X-mas tree selection. There were many options, shapes and sizes. After careful consideration of these options, we emerged with a 10-foot Balsam Fir. Decorating the tree proved to be a fiasco, complete with tree-stand issues involving multiple runs to the hardware store. In the end, we got the tree standing upright.

Here is a picture of the final product. Notice how we’ve trained Monty to pose for the camera.

After the decorating festivities, I sat down to watch the most exciting football game I’ve seen in quite some time. The Steelers proved that they are THE best team in the NFL with their come-from-behind victory over the Jaguars. Rookie Ben Roethlisburger demonstrated poise and maturity during the hurry-up offense on the final drive of the game. This kid was a blessing for this team. I can’t wait to see the way he performs in three years. 11 and 1. Jacksonville, we’ll be back.

Shameless Plug

Wanna hire me to work a full-time internship at your PR firm? I’m available to begin interning on May 9th, 2005 and must log 480 hours by the first week of August in order to complete my 12 credits. Here’s to yet another extremely busy summer.

Higher Education

I apologize for the lack of updates over the last few days, but school is really kicking my ass. It’s getting down to the nitty-gritty, with only about two weeks left until the end of the semester. I have a ton of work to do, so I most likely will not be updating regularly until my finals are over on December 14th. Consider this a break to regain positivity, empathy and understanding ;) Hi Nan!

Alone on Stage

I just received word that I’ll be opening for the amazing Bob Mould. The show is on Tuesday, November 16th at the Rex Theatre on Pittsburgh’s southside. Hope to see alot of you there.

For those of you unfamiliar with Bob’s work, he was a member of two great bands before going solo. Husker Du was, and continues to be, an extremely influential group. They were one of the first to show that you could combine melody with intensity. Sugar, Bob’s band after Husker Du, continued where the Du left off. In my opinion, Sugar’s melodies and subject matter were a little more advanced than that of Husker Du. Two of my all-time favorite songs, “Hoover Dam” and “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”, come from Sugar’s Copper Blue album.