One more reason to love Kylesa...

Went for a drive to grab some food for the fam today, and got pulled over by a cop in Troy, apparently for speeding (though I question that I was actually exceeding the speed limit). He checked my plates, came to the car, gave me a funny look, took my license and registration, and after what seemed like an hour came back to the car.

"You're gonna want to slow down here," he said, " but since I like your shirt, I'm gonna let you go with a warning."

Puzzled, I said, "Uh... okay."

He replied, "My son was going to see Kylesa play, with Mastodon, I think, and I have a habit of checking out the bands that my son goes to see, since he's only 17. I listened to their new record [Static Tensions, the cover of which was depicted on my shirt] and really loved it, so I went to the show with him and have all their CDs now. I'm a fan, I guess... and feeling generous cuz of your shirt there. So just slow down a bit, don't mention this to anyone, and have good one, okay?"

I wanted to give him the "rock" salute, but figured I should quit while I was ahead. I said thanks a lot, and went on my way.

Forget the fact that their albums rule, they play raucous live shows, and are all-around nice people who autographed my copy of Static Tensions - the reason to love them is that their t-shirts get you out of speeding tickets. Fuck yeah!

Beginnings...

The title of the blog, Land of Some Other Order, is taken from a track on Earth's Hex album. I love Earth, and have for years, since their beginnings on Seattle's influential Sub Pop label. For various reasons, the title seemed apt...

I'm not sure what I'll be writing about in this blog - probably about music, since I spend what probably amounts to way too much time listening to it. I'm a metal freak these days - a little bit of this, a little bit of that - as long as its metal, let me hear it. It provides a soundtrack of sorts, for what I do, what I think, what I feel.

I'm going to try to keep politics out of it, but I know already that I will not be successful.. I have too many thoughts, too many frustrations to keep quiet. I'm radically radical (like my terminology?) in my political and social beliefs, but I will probably just use this to express my own points of view, rather than to try to influence anyone else. I've identified, at various times, with Marxism, Anarcho-syndicalism, Green politics, deep ecology and various other ideologies. For the most part, I find ideology to be constraining rather than guiding, so I just am what I am. I mention the -isms because they have all influenced me in one way or another, though my biggest influences are my enemies.

I may discuss family issues, as well. I have two little girls - Isabela (will be 3 in August) and Calleigh (just turned one in April), as well as a wife who I generally adore. She also frustrates the hell out of me, because we are vastly different people. If we were the same, though, how could we learn from one another?

I'll likely get poetic at times, using language that no one will understand but myself. Call it poetry, if you will, but its really just me trying to hide various feelings in sneaky, indirect language.

I think that's all I have to say for now. The trick will be in seeing how much I actually use this.