StovePipeHat

the deer hunter

Dove season opened on Labor Day, and I have too many shotguns (eight at last count).  Traded my first shotgun (a 12 gauge automatic Beretta 390 that I bought at the Wal-Mart in Benton, Arkansas) for my brother's Weatherby Vanguard 308.  Looking forward to some deer hunting come October.

I would have liked to get a .300 WSM or maybe a 45-70, but this is a good all-purpose hunting rifle. Based on the 1898 Mauser design, it is bolt action with a five round capacity. Came with a great 3x-9x 40 scope by Swift. The best part is that it was free (I hardly ever shoot the Beretta anymore, since I have its bigger cousin the Benelli (my "dinner gun").

Death Valley

It's been at least five years since I've been to Tiger Stadium. Tailgate is not unlike Duke's, but this is football at an entirely different level.

Hurricane Ike

We've battened down the hatches in New Orleans. After four days of animal rescue work it's nice to kick back and relax. Tonight's hurricane party featured a performance by psycogirlfriend, recorded at Kelly's (500 Washington Ave.) This was an acoustic performance due to the spinoff tornado activity.

Special Forces

My cousin Johnathan, who is being deployed to Kuwait tomorrow. He is 19 and expecting his first baby in January. I feel a kinship with Sarah Palin.

Hurricane Gustav

One of the three trees that fell on my brother's house.

the road worrier

With my Jawbone headset and my .357 snubnose I am ready for anything (in this case, researching a confederate slave burial site near a church in Lavonia, Ga.).

Note that while I normally wear Chuck Taylor low-boys, you can't beat the high tops for insect protection when it's too damned hot to wear hiking boots. In this photo the road worrier is worried about snakes.

What Have I Done For Myself Lately?

People come to me quite frequently, and they say: "Matthew, we know that you are an exceptional worker, a stellar parent, and that your contributions to social and charitable causes set a model for all of us, but what are you doing to take care of yourself?".

I have heeded these calls with the following purchase:

Full information is here.

In The Court

Saw King Crimson in Philly on Tuesday. Off the top of my head, I remember the following:

Consktruction Of Light
Three Of A Perfect Pair
Dinosaur
Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream
Red
Frame By Frame
Indiscipline
Sleepless
The Talking Drum
Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part II
Thela Hun Gingeet
Elephant Talk
Coda/Marine 475

Although I'm sure there was more.

I've never seen the modern Crimson, and it was fantastic.

Robert Fripp hid behind his equipment more than Miles Davis in his worse moments.

The format was: 2 Drummers (Pat Mastelotto, and some guy I didn't know), Tony Levin on Bass/Stick, Adrian Belew and Fripp.

It was great to hear so much off of 'Discipline' - one of my all-time favorite records. I've never seen any of those songs played live, and it was a huge treat (although I was disappointed that the spoken word part of Thela Hun Gingeet seemed to be played off of a loop "This is a Dangerous Place...")

One Happy Kid

Last post

Picture should have been part of my last post...