Stephen Colbert and his Formidable Opponent show that while the truth may hurt… it can also be damn funny.

I recently bought a Canon VIXIA HV30 HD camera and schlepped it along to our TITSH show this past weekeind. Long story short, the difference in quality compared to my last camera is HUGE. The differences can’t be as easily detected after YouTube butchers them but the QuickTime files tell the tale…

The boys (and Lorie) will once again be playing out at The Roxbury Tavern. Come on out, you’ll be glad you did. They serve great food and have a fine selection of beer. It’s also the best place in the area to see acoustic music. Plus, it’s FREE!

You know Summer has truly arrived once the has-beens start popping up all over the place. Madison’s Capitol Times has an extremely funny article about this past Saturday’s triple threat: Poison, Dokken and Sebastian Bach. Apparently some lucky folks (lucky that they had $30 of expendable income) got to hang around The Bean and a chance to pick up some suvineers…

The auctioneer held out one of the muscle shirts to a young blonde with “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark” hair: “C’mon, you gotta get a whiff of this!”… She did.

Awesome.

I also missed my chance at REO, Molly Hatchet, Joan Jett and the Beach Boys.

This past Saturday, (This is the) Squirrel Hunters played our second show at the 4th Annual Brooklyn Bluegrass Festival. The 3rd incarnation of the fest had seen heavy rain on Friday night… and so, not to be outdone, the weather this year decided to take it up a notch and include Tornado conditions. The tornado alarm went off during our opening tune! I myself, having been feeling rather funky all week, and apparently not wanting to be outdone by a little silly weather, decided to have a panic attack during the second song of the set, and nearly provide the audience with a face plant from stage.

But the show must go on… or as Sean would say… “What would Duffy do?”. I managed to remain vertical, hit the tenor parts and with hands shaking, bang out a few solos. Actually, it sounds far better than it had seemed from stage… yeesh.

You can find more TITSH clips on YouTube.

Okay, I have been slacking… but only in regards to updating my blog (and buying a dresser for the lump of cloths on by bedroom floor). I’ve actually been quite busy with my new band (This is the) Squirrel Hunters.

For some time I have known that in order to get my playing to the next level, I need more reps and to be forced into sweating every detail. In other words, I need a band. As luck would have it, I have some good friends who’s playing I enjoy and who all have similar interest in improvement. Thus was born (This is the) Squirrel Hunters.

We recently had our debut… our maiden voyage… our, if you will, debutant ball (oh, and I will)…. The event took place at one of my favorite bars, the Roxbury Tavern. Tom, the owner/proprietor of the Roxbury, showed his TITSH colors by cooking up a fantastic squirrel stew in honor of the occasion!

It was a fine time to be sure. There’s work ‘o plenty still to do but it was a fine beginning. You’re welcome to see for yourself. There are a few videos up on YouTube, as well as a photo sideshow on the band site. Our next show is this weekend at the Brooklyn Bluegrass Festival in Brooklyn, WI.

It’s absolutely tragic that this isn’t #1 on the Best of Craigslist…

The pictures of this former kitty are funny enough but the post itself makes this one truly special… Enjoy.

Today, as I was hauling yet another “Shopper Stopper” (a junk-snail-mail newspaper in Madison, WI) to the recycle bin, I decided to take a look at and see if there was a way to stop their delivery. None was listed, so I turned to Google…

To stop delivery, just call Madison Newspapers’ customer service number at 608-252-6363, select option 5, and ask them to stop it. Should stop in 1-2 weeks. Thanks Google…

I am totally voting for Hillary! Not only is she the best Republican candidate since Regan, but she’s also proven to be willing to fight the meaningful fights. I’ve enjoyed our current administrations grasp on reality and feel that Hillary shows the most promise for hitting that ground running. I enjoy the fact that she doesn’t spend most of her time discussing governmental issues, but rather discussing her issues with her opponents. I think this gives us a glimpse at the decision-making, character and class she has shown in the past, and what we could expect more of in the future.

Hillary ‘08!

Even if you’re not that into Bluegrass, I would think you’d find the Flatt & Scruggs TV Show DVD pretty cool. If you are even remotely into Bluegrass, then this DVD series is absolutely essential! I don’t think I can hype these DVDs too much… just go buy one and see for yourself. In addition to the many, many great tunes, they also included some of the original Martha White commercials… which are priceless!