Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!

Last night, Katrina brought up how some males are "physical" with their expression of anger or frustration. I am not, in the sense that I don't bang walls or hit countertops or kick defenseless animals. But talk to my Yamaha P60, and it will tell you that when I feel helpless, or sad, or frustrated, or angry...I pray, and I talk about it with Katrina..and then I pound out Bruce Hornsby solos until I feel better.

And it doesn't take long!

Although my piano is a little worse for the wear when I'm done.

Fun Stuff

My sis sent me a text with lyrics from "Stuck in a Moment" by U2, to which I replied "How True, and also one of my top ten favorite U2 songs."

Should I even give it a shot?

Yes.

All opinions are subject to change, but here goes nothing (In order of favorite, too.)

10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2. Where The Streets Have No Name
1. With Or Without You

Okay, I can't do it...I tried, I really did, but I really love too many stinking U2 songs to prioritize and categorize.

Hope the day is great for you lucky readers.

Things

I learned some valuable life lessons this last weekend:

1. I love being in love with Katrina. (I knew this one already, but it's reinforced every time I see or speak to her!)

2. It is really okay to share all of my burdens.

3. I have alot of unresolved anger issues with my dad.

4. I love talking about the wedding.

5. I don't want to "leave" Katrina any more. (Also knew this, but bears repeating!)

6. I think I'll enjoy the grey showing up in my beard.

7. There are so many more wonderful things in my life than horrible things.

8. Prayer is of ultimate importance.

9. Thunderstorms still rock, but not as much when you have to drive through them.

10. Speaking of rock, R.P.M. fills the "post-grunge guitar noise" void that has existed ever since "Emo" came into existence.

I learned alot more, but there's a sampling for you all to chew on.

It's Not All Bad. Sometimes I Get To Be A Rockstar!

Here's some pics from last weekend's "Fur Trade Days" beer garden at the Olde Main Street Inn..

I'm Angry.

I really need a job that is not here.

I just got yelled at because my boss had to come in and work yesterday (and so did I, by the way, bossman!). He's mad because his baseball tournament is next weekend and I've made plans to be in Denver to make plans for my wedding. MY WEDDING. He said, "It's your responsibility to make sure those shifts are covered, whether you have to switch things around or work a different shift!" and, "You still have a job to do here." I'm sorry, but I've slaved for you too many times without appropriate compensation to deem my voicetracking shift more important than getting married.

What about all the times I was here thirteen or fourteen hours in a row without a break because someone didn't come in? What about the stretch of time I worked 50 days in a row without a day off? How about Labor Day weekend last year when I was in this building for 20 hours straight, only to return less than 6 hours later so we could get the new computer system figured out? What about when I bend over backwards to get a whole new category of music into rotation and all you do is buy my lunch?

I am getting sick to death of this routine. How about giving me a raise to match my performance? Oh, wait, painting our offices is MUCH more important...we should definitely spend a thousand dollars on that.

Is it this way everywhere? I hope not. I hate the feeling of being screwed all the time.

At War

I have alot on my heart this morning. These verses are standing out to me:



1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

1 John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.



I'm feeling pretty attacked lately. Not by anything of this world, but on a spiritual level. I have a wonderful relationship. There are many reasons why, but the simple list includes elements like our ability to communicate, to be honest and real with eachother no matter the issue, our connection, our mutual desire to seek Godly things, our compassion for others, and many more characteristics that prove to me everyday that Katrina is my One.

Satan hates us. He hates everything good. He hates the way we communicate with God, and our desire to be closer to Jesus. He will be unscrupulous in his method to destroy us, but because we have accepted the sacrifice of Christ's death and resurrection, we have been given the power to deny the evil one.

This is all head knowledge for me, but each day, the heart knowledge of these facts grows.

I still haven't quite processed exactly what I'm trying to say, but it's taking shape. Perhaps opening the floor to discussion will help me figure it out.

Thank you for letting me share.

If I Were King

Why can't we screen our calls at the radio station?

I've heard two or three really awkward calls this morning while listening to the Morning Man.

It would really help if they could do things like any other major radio station in the world, and have a "producer" with some vague idea of the tone of the phone call about to go on the air.

The main thing I noticed this morning was the ignorant nature of the callers, and the ineptitude of the host to handle such telecommunicational dumbassery.

Why I still care is a mystery to me, but I just can't stand the lack of professionalism in our sound.

And while I'm at it.

Why the $&#* did we hire an illiterate newsreporter? There's over 60,000 hits a day to our station website and we sanction a story written so poorly, a 5th grader in remedial english could've written a more succinct, grammatically correct version!

It's called syntax. It's called punctuation. Please learn what these things mean before applying for a communications-related career.

God Went Bowling

God sure knows how to frame a day in greatness.

I usually abhor waking up in the early morning, but this morning was a dream. Bright flashes of lightning, and thunder shaking the whole house. Yay.

And the smell of rain, washing away that sick smell of ponderosa pine ash and soot.

It's going to be maybe 90 today. Almost 80 for a few days thereafter.

(Ask me sometime about forest fires...I still have unresolved trauma issues with them.)

May everyone have a beautiful day!

Lost in the Moment (In the Moment)

I feel like such a rockstar today.

I have to learn 2 songs before 5 ish.

I'm gonna be fine.

It's the rest of the band I'm worried about "Conducting" through the gig, and remembering to sing.

If only I had some sort of confidence in the guitar player's ability to believe in his playing in moments like that.

I added some guitar parts to "completely" last night..And I transplanted 8 notes from Shawn's previous version, corrected the tempo so it would match the new arrangement. I am a genius.


Well, I hope everyone's day is as beautiful as mine is forecast to be!

Oh, Boy...

It's a rejection letter!

Dear Joseph Lowry:Thank you for expressing interest in the position of Multimedia / AV Technician, in the department of Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. We have experienced a large response to this opening from a number of highly qualified individuals. With this response, we have been able to very closely match our job specifications with another candidate.Your interest in the University of Denver is appreciated, and I wish you success in your job search.

Back to the drawing board.

3:30 AM Hurts.

But in this case, it's a Good Hurt.

New arrangement of my song Completely available for your scrutiny:

www.myspace.com/drrtyjoe , as my profile song.

www.myspace.com/musicianjoelowry , with others I'm highlighting right now.

Comments, critiques, questions? Send a message.

Miscelania

Yay. It's Thursday. Day after. I had to drive through a bunch of hollowed out, burned up fireworks in the middle of my street. I'm all about blowing crap up, but any time I've ever done it I've always cleaned it up right after they were all done.

I'm in a random mood right now, so bear with me.

I hate this dramatic shift in attitude that occurs in me the moment I walk into the office. I woke up feeling quite right and good. Even in the car on the way down I felt fairly okay. Upon my arrival, I instantantly feel bitter, angry, and insecure. Time to move on?

I had the opportunity to check out some interviews and live performances online of one of my favorite bands, Collective Soul. They did an acoustic lounge session at the pop station down there in ATL, Star 98.7, for those who feel like searching. Quite brilliant.

Alright, I think I'm done blabbing for now.

Later.

Rawking Out

Ryan Adams, I adore your style.

The following is the oddball rock track from his new disc.

Halloweenhead.

An allegory for falling into temptation. And Hating yourself afterward.


Here comes that sh*t againI've got a halloweenheadHead full of tricks and treatsIt leads me thru the nighttime streetsBlack cats and falling treesUnder ladders always walkingSalt shaker spills just throw it over your shoulder, babeI've got a bad idea again, i've got aHalloweenhead, halloweenheadHead full of candy bagsCostume shops and punks in dragHead full of tricks and treatsPlaces where junkies meetAnd it leads me thru streets at nightThat's alright, i just watch i don't go insideIt's all the same old sh*t againI got a halloweenheadI got a halloweenheadLord, i got a halloweenheadGuitar soloI got a halloweenheadLord, i've got a halloweenheadI got a halloweenheadOh lord, i've got a halloweenheadHere comes that sh*t againI've gota halloweenheadHead of tricks and treatsIt leads me thru the nighttime streetsDowntownDowntownDowntownI've got a halloweenheadLord, i've got a halloweenheadWhat the f*ck's wrong with me, god i'm a halloweenhead.

I wish I could articulate.

Ryan Adams. Easy Tiger. Brilliance. One of the nice things about a long car trip alone is the opportunity to wear a new cd out. There are plenty of tracks on the cd worth repeating and repeating, all in the "alt country singer-songwriter" style- however- a "sore thumb" track that totally rocks my world is the "single" (who the hell plays RA?) Halloweenhead. It's the most rock, in-your-face cut right in the middle of the twangy syrup.

Driving away from the woman I love is the hardest thing. Every time we see eachother, the world is changed for the better. We grow immeasurably closer. Our conversations are life-altering. Our dreams are exponentially larger than life. All is right. And then-we have to seperate because our "adult sense of responsibility" kicks in and ruins it all.

I need a job. In Denver. We're both praying like crazy. Would you?

Ugh. The real world sucks.

I just looked at my paycheck. I'll bring home all of $13, 437.84 this year. On Paper it says I make $18, 300. Wow. Even the Gross Pay looks awful.

Praypraypraypraypraypray!

I suppose I'd better get back to work.


By The Way: I love you, Katrina.