BURNING HAIR AND THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Minions of mine:
Just a couple of subjects today. Haven't been posting for a week, as I had nothing to say. It's funny, cause when I think of something to write, I'm away from the computer. When I'm here, I draw a blank. High? Not always.

BURNING HAIR
Some of you already know about this one, but it's a LEN IS RIGHT classic. Last Sunday morning, around 5 a.m., a train came into the shop without it's toilet dump pipes. They had been knocked off by overzealous carmen who were using a sledgehammer to........anyway, long story short, they were missing and had been broken off at the flange that connects it to the bottom of the train car. For a couple of reasons, I ended up having to try and weld these pipes back onto the car. It was a busy night and trains still needed to come in, so there wasn't alot of time. The bottom of the car had thin or rusted metal to weld to, so I had to be careful. Several blown holes later (you strike an arc and a hole blows immediately, giving you nothing to weld to), as I'm welding in the overhead position, with my welding jacket snapped up, I get 2 pieces of molten metal drop off the work and go down my t-shirt.

Being hairy means things like crumbs and such get caught on their way down. So, the heat starts to set in as these things are just sizzling on me. I'm tearing the welding helmet off, dropping the stinger, and trying to pull my shirt out of my pants so the metal can fall out. That shit is HOT!! Are you getting the picture in your mind? Classic, right? So now, I'm walking around looking like someone put out 2 cigarettes on me. NOT A KLUMSY INJURY. Just Murphy's Law accident. If there's one exposed area, be it paint, water, light, or welding slag, that's where the stuff will go. And then.......

The acrid stench of burning hair and skin starts to waft in the air. MOTHER-PUSS-BUCKET!!! I know some of you have smelled burning hair and skin. It's not like cooking something. Cause I wouldn't eat anything that smelled like that shit. WOW! It later took on a skunk-like quality. I never thought I'd have anything in common with a skunk, but the smell had qualities of fresh skunk. Both of my dogs have been sprayed a total of 8 times. You find out the difference between fresh and hours-old skunk. Hours-old skunk is sour. Fresh skunk is a bitter, charred, putrid, nasty smell. Actually burns your throat. Very effective. Just like when a dog scratches days later, I itched where I was burned and had to scratch, which brought out the smell, if ever so faint, again. Damn, my crackuhs. Nice start to last week.

PRESIDENTIAL RACE
Alright, here's my take. First, the Republicans. Couldn't care less. You've fucked up my world and nation (in my opinion) so bad that I gotta go with the other guys, blind. Sorry Conservatives. Sorry Republicans. I'm sure one of your candidates could do an excellent job and save our country for a while. But I can't even look your way.

So you think that would make it easy. But the other side keeps disappointing me, as does America's response. Hillary keeps flying off the handle under stress. So I'm losing confidence in her. And is it the right time for Obama? And is he the lesser of 2 evils? When Oprah jumped on his ship, it seemed that there was a shift in the polls. I know Oprah carries alot of weight in this country, but should we allow our collective opinion to be swayed by celebrity? It's a given that Oprah's got alot more going for her than , say, most other celebrities, but is she always right? Who is she? Why don't you run for office? I would love it if celebrities just voted in private and kept their opinions out of the Press, like the rest of us. But, it's a different world now. Jeez, the world can read my rantings if they can find them. Should I have influence over a mass of people? I know the SMART minions are nodding and chanting YES!! right now. The rest of you losers don't know what you're missing. I saw on Bill Maher's Real Time that a group of African-American women, in a hair salon, all were for Obama over Hillary. That told me that race, not sex, may decide the Democratic Nominee and, ultimately, the whole election.

Why have we forgotten about John Edwards? It seems that many times the nation has gone for the Popular rather than the correct choice for candidates. I was a fan of Bill Clinton, because NAFTA aside, I thought our country did well when he was in Office. I know I got more than one new contract at Amtrak when he was in Office. I'm still waiting for one from Dubya. Nothing's ratified yet, though we finally have a basic framework.

I think we know that Edwards has no chance. This is a 2-horse race. For me, if the Democrats don't end up doing the expected, and shooting themselves in the foot, then I have to hope whichever qualified candidate gets in can clean up whatever mess has been made and move us forward so we're ahead of the 8-ball.

THE CAMPAIGN
This is the main problem for me. Just hype of another nature. And folks, we're getting hammered all around right now. You like hype? Here's what you're getting hyped at you right now: A Presidential campaign complete with all the trimmings (interviews, speculation, reports, speeches, etc...), the upcoming Super Bowl XLII, the Awards Season (Grammys, Oscars, yada, yada), Valentines Day bombardment, what else? I would have no problem with the campaign if it wasn't all about NEGATIVITY. The biggest snipe hunt in the world.

Hey, esteemed lawyers running for office, can ya do me a favor? Could you please just focus on your objectives? Can you just tell all of us what your plans are going to be and maybe explain how you plan on going about making these plans a reality, so I can make my choice? "I'll give you a National Health policy." "I'll get us out of Iraq." "I'll work more on the Planet." "I'll take care of domestic and border issues." Great. How? And what programs are going to lose money so you'll be able to succeed in these plans?

Which one of these characters do YOU think is going to leave the country in better shape than he/she found it when they took Office? Here's the tough part. How do we take care of our country Domestically, and gain back our respect and status in the eyes of the world? It's a tenuous balancing act that most would be doomed to fail at.

Let's hope we make the right choice. I welcome any comments, as always. Thanks for visiting Len Is Right.

I am,
Len Tollerton

MESSAGE FOR ALL EXCEPT MY MINIONS

HEY!!
CAN YO TRY NOT TO NAVIGATE THE TRAFFIC ROTARY WHILE THE FREAKIN' CELL PHONE IS PRESSED TO YOUR SKULL??!! Jesus, is that too much to ask? This is one of the things that goes on that you wish they'd let you mount gattling guns on you car. You know...if we all got just one day per year where you could temporarily mount guns on your car, don't you think you'd do it? Holy criminy, I'd be on that line faster than shit through a goose. And I'll tell ya, I'd try to be as lenient as possible. But if I see phone-in-skull while going through the circle, I'm shooting you. Terminate with extreme prejudice.

Hey, I only use my signal lights 95-99% of the time, so I'm not perfect. But, what the hell did you people do BEFORE cell phones? Jeez Dude. Hey Honey, it's not that much to get the hands-free setup for your car.

And don't even START with the excuses. LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton

NEW NAME FOR JENNIFER TWO-AXE

Minions:
Friend of Len Is Right, Jennifer Two-Axe, who was previously known as She Who Is In Hell, will now be know as JEN CAME. See, things in Jen's life are coming around, and she asked for a new name. So, I thought it could be Jen Coming Around. But I thought it would be more hopeful if we just cut to the chase, helping Jen to believe in herself and just "act" as if she was already there. So Jen's new name on the blog is "JEN CAME "

Make of that what you will.
LT

DO AGE AND WISDOM BRING COMPASSION?

Hey, you people:
Today, I ask a question that I have been pondering off and on for a few years. As we get older, and we gain wisdom, do we also gain compassion that we may not have had in our youth?

Wow, that's kind of deep, isn't it? Not your normal fare for this site. Anyway...it's easy, to me, to be able to understand why we gain wisdom with age. Alot of it has to do with making mistakes and learning from your errors. So, I believe that wisdom is learned. Oh sure, you may gain insight and forethought. But do you, or can you, learn FEEL?

What I mean is, can a person LEARN to become compassionate towards others? I'll get to the point with an example. Go back to your High School days and think about the kids who were the nerds, geeks, dweebs, outcasts, afterthoughts, and nobodies. Were you one of those kids? Were you one of the people that picked on those kids? Think about that person now. If you don't see them often, do you know how they turned out? Did they excel in their life after being freed from the hellish bonds that WERE High School? Or did they remain the enigma, oddity, or outcast they were influenced to be in their youth?

I know that kids are kids. I also know that the kids that were picked on had humility and compassion, because that's generally what they were hoping to receive from others. Or just to be left alone. True, also, is the fact that the kids who were the ones dishing it out generally had little or no compassion, because they were able to pick on an easy target.

SO, NOW WHAT?
Well, earlier a name came up that I remembered from High School, of a kid was kind of an outcast during those years. This led me to think about some other kids I had known from 5th Grade till the end of High School that were in the same boat. Also, I thought about my own kid. My older son is in the "nerdy-video game-non athletic-geeky" vein. Happily, he has a good bunch of friends that he hangs out with in school that are the same. Back in November, he had a couple of instances in school that he was disciplined for, that stemmed from getting picked on by other kids for being "different." I think back and remember how I was in BOTH groups at different times. I got picked on, and I was one of the kids doing the teasing.

My wife and I talk about kids we went to school with (we've known each other since 7th Grade), that were the outcasts, and sometimes wonder about them. You find yourself saying, "Hey, remember crazy Joe Public?", or, "Do you remember the day we made Fiona Whatshername cry?" So, I gotta ask ya, how do you think you would feel if you knew people remembered you for ONLY that? "Remember Billy? He always smelled like mildew. Do you think he ever started showering regularly?" Then you find out years later that the kid's home life was terrible, he was neglected, or his family was dirt poor and couldn't afford soap. And you KNOW it will always follow that person. I know 2 guys who were accused of molesting cats when they were younger. Not kidding. The one guy went through the rest of the years I knew him, referred to as "Cat Man." Now, if the guy goes to his High School Reunion, some asshole is going to call him that to his face, or behind his back, before the night is through.

So where and when does compassion come? The funny thing is, is that if you're not the target of this stuff, there can be some good comedy to come out of it. Just in aside comments alone. I mean, some of the funniest shit I've seen or heard has been at someone else's expense, be it slapstick comedy, stand-up, or just live--hanging out with your friends.

No doubt, we all have to grow thicker skins as we get older. If you let the same stuff bother you 20 years from now, you haven't learned the lesson, or learned how to cope. But where does compassion come in? I guess you have to learn it, just like wisdom. But it, too, has to come with hard knocks. I think you have to be on the short end of the stick a few times, or many times, to see how it feels to be the outcast. I know guys that have NEVER been in that position. Always been popular, never had consistent setbacks, lived fortunate lives. I know guys that have been bullies all their lives and have never had to deal with the opposite. I think the lesson is lost on these folks and I wonder if they'll EVER get it.

To the people I've been a jerk to, I hope I've redeemed myself since then. If not, I hope to, one day. To those that picked on me, hey, fuck off!! No, I'm kidding. It took me getting picked on to be able to laugh at myself and grow a thicker skin. Because, I think we all know that if you can laugh at yourself, you can make it through any situation.

Did you actually stay and read that whole post? I give ya credit.
LEN IS RIGHT is happy you stopped by.
Be well, minions.
I am,
Len Tollerton

FOOTBALL PARTY

Hello my Minions:
This past weekend saw the end-of-the-year party for my Fantasy Football League. I am the Commissioner (in name only) and Social Director, so I got to run things. I think I may have made one hell of a Cruise Director for Royal Caribbean or some such organization, I just don't look too good in a skirt (see past posts on hairiness).

First off, I'd like to thank Melissa and Rob Lindley (Lady Hunter and the Bounty Hunter) for securing for the league the party spot. The clubhouse at Horizon Ridge is very comfortable with many nice features for holding parties. M&R have been coming through for us over the last few years and I know everyone that attends really appreciates it.

For those of you that received my mis-sent email about the TV, Roy the G.B. King took care of us on that one. Thanks Roy, there probably wouldn't have been too much of a party w/o the TV. Everything else went off without a hitch. Food was good football games were good, and the poker tourney went off without any problems and we even had a surprise winner.

Because of illnesses, we had only 14 players for the tourney. After getting down to a Final table, the players tightened up a bit. There were only a few highlights. Rob the B.H. bent the Rainman over and sent him to the rail. Then Chuck the E.o.D. went All-In with King-Queen against this older gent who was a guest. He happened to be holding a pair of 7's. Well, you could see it coming a mile away, as Chuck's hand didn't improve, the 7's held up and Chuck did his best Phil Helmuth impression as he tried not to go into full-blown tantrum state. Later the older guy (Uncle Phil...not my uncle) went All-In and I was the only one who'd play with him. I was holding King-10 suited. Just as before, Uncle Phil was holding 7's and my hand didn't improve and Uncle Phil had new life.

At one point Rob the B.H. had the chip lead. but after a few devastating losses Rob was sent to the rail in 5th place. That left myself, Uncle Phil, Roy the G.B. King (widely considered the best tourney player of our group), and Brian the Kaos Kid. We played for alot of hands before Roy knocked me out when I couldn't draw the Flush on the end. I was happy to cash in the tourney, cause I get distracted when I am running the show and don't always play my best. Uncle Phil's luck came to an end a few hands later. He was very happy to have done so well.

That brought it down to Roy and Brian. I think the general feeling was that Roy was the favorite in this scenario because he plays very tough when he's heads up w/another player. But when Brian went on a streak, winning 15 hands in a row, Roy knew he was in trouble. Shortly thereafter, Brian ended Roy's hope of taking home the Champion's plaque, and Brian was handed the Title and $400. This is Brian's first win in one of our tourneys (Football league or Daytona Ave.) and he was very happy and, I think, a little relieved. However, his brother, Kevin the Roller, would not congratulate him, saying, "I thought Roy would win...that's who my money was on." Brian calls Kevin "The Lifehater." Kevin's family call him "The Angry Man."

By the way, the League crowned Fred Theadore and the LR Express the Champion of our League for the 2nd year in a row, and his 4th title in 15 years. Fred has been in 8 of the last 12 Finals. He also won his other league this year. He has an uncanny ability to draft the right guys, make the right mid-season moves, and start the right players. He also seems to have INCREDIBLE luck. But that's a whole other post. Congrats to Fred, ya bastard.

GREETINGS TO MY FRIENDS
I'd like to take this time to send greetings to all my friends and loved ones who are not in the area or who I don't see very often. L.E.B. in Fonda; My cool friend Tom the Big Game Hunter down South; Uncle Bob the Mixologist; Deb,The LOVELY Wiccan; My loving family members in Utica, NY (Tollertons and Grotevants, et al); Jim "The Curmudgeon" Bashford; Deb, my friend at KeyBank; Dave and Steve down in N.C. (my cousins...2 very cool individuals); Dick and Aggie in FLA; The Rockabilly Corteses (and the Boneshakers); Marc the Actor in L.A.; Henry the World Traveler; Marc who manages Metallica; Paul the Judge(and a HUGE Packers fan); She Who Is In Hell (Jen, time for a new name); Mike W. having fun in the Iraqi desert; and the ever-vaunted BVA down in Sanford (F*&K the Giants).

Just a little shout-out to y'all. Stay right, people. And keep on visiting LEN IS RIGHT.

Peace on this day.
I am,
Len Tollerton

GOOD LUCK MIKE W.

Hey minions:
Today's post is just some good wishes sent along the wire to a friend from my youth.

Mike Wesoloski is a guy from Colonie that I was friends with through another common friend. He always knew he wanted to be a soldier. He was in Active Duty for the Army for a few years, got out, and then got back in when Iraq started.

His son, Mike, is the captain on my son Connor's bowling team. Last May, Mike, the elder, got his orders to go to Iraq for a year. It's funny how you don't really think about it much if you don't know anyone who's over there. But when you know someone who is going, it kind of wakes you up. When he left, in May, I admit to misting up a bit when I said goodbye to him. You don't know if you're going to see someone again, so it affects you, if you have a heart.

Anyway, Mike came home for 2 weeks over the holidays, and I think he REALLY was glad to be home. No duh, right? The pictures he's sent back have painted a picture of a bleak and desolate landscape teeming with camel spiders, scorpions, and DIRT. What? Are you freakin' kidding me? Why on earth would people choose to live there? This is what Allah did for you Muslim folks, huh? Jeez, sign me up for the Taliban. Idiots.

So, Mike went back to Iraq this past week. He'll be released from his duty in May. Hey Mike, My wish for you is to return home safe and healthy and that the next 5 months flies by at warp speed. You know your family will keep the home fires burning. And now, my blog minions will be thinking about you, too.

Hey folks, I heard Mike is a little homesick since he went back (a phenomenon that happens when you get to come home in the middle of your term). I know you guys rarely respond to my questions. But I'd like to request that all of you send Mike an email with some positive words. We'd both really appreciate it. Don't let me down folks. It'll only take a couple of minutes.

Mike Wesoloski can be reached via email at: wezski@aol.com
Thanks.
Remember, always, that LEN IS RIGHT!
I am,
Len Tollerton

FINGER FRUSTRATION

My Friends:
The struggle continues. You know, when you watch a person play a guitar, someone who knows how to play and can execute every chord and lead, you don't often realize how much work went into getting to that point. That is, until you, yourself, attempt to learn to play correctly.

I'll tell ya, if your ego ever gets too big, all you need to do is pick up a guitar and try to start learning how to play. You can't believe how frustrating it is getting your fingers to be in the right spots and move the way they need to. It is so easy to feel disabled when you're trying to hold down strings so they play cleanly and your chords don't sound flat and crappy.

I've rarely found an activity that is at once frustrating and rewarding. At the outset it's mainly frustrating. I think that's why I never stuck with it when I was a kid. I guess I figured that if I couldn't be great w/in the first month, that I would never be any good at it. As I grew older, I realized that, unless you have an inate talent, that it's NOT going to be easy and it IS going to take alot of work and practice. Now that I'm in my 40's and I'm trying to become competent, I'm finding that I have more patience to work through the difficulties, but still get as frustrated playing because my mind knows where my fingers are supposed to be, but the body (especially the fingers) wants to be a pain in the ass. No pun intended.

Learning the correct way to play chords and transitioning smoothly between these chords is the tricky part. Hey listen, I've ALWAYS had respect for guitar players, but it's even more so now. Now I realize why it's important to set aside an hour every day to practice (more if you want to get really good and get good fast). Roy the G.B. King and I are big guitar fans. He's crazy for guys like Carlos Santana, any hot blues guitarist (Jimmy Thackery, Stevie Ray, etc...) and other guys who can just play well. And as you know I'm into the Metal thing (guys like Angus Young, Alex Lifeson, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith of Maiden, and Tony Iommi of Sabbath). We both have a Man-Worship thing going for a couple of friends of ours (Jeff the Palooka and the DotCom Destroyer) because besides being golfers who consistently shoot in the 70's, they both happen to wail on the guitar. Listening to them play, I can only wonder at the amount of practice time they must have put in when they were younger.

YEAH, OKAY, SO?.....
So my struggle continues as I continue to kick my own ass for not sticking with it when I was a kid. I'm finally learning how to play scales of different kinds, and play chords and transition between them smoothly. I have good days and bad days, like anything else. I think it's very true that you have to learn on an acoustic, so as to learn how to hold down strings properly. You then progress to an electric, which, when amplified is easier to play (my opinion). I still want to go fast and be a great player before I'm ready. And in truth, I know it's going to take a while. But by next year at this time, I believe I'm going to be able to play quite well (for me). I won't be afraid to embarass myself when playing in front of others. I probably won't be able to play many Standard songs (Down in the Valley, Camp Town Races, etc...) because that's not my bag. But I hope to have written several decent rock songs that I can get recorded with the help a few musician friends. Not looking to be some recording star, but I am looking to satisfy my own ego and maybe impress a person or two.

Now that I've stopped smoking, I think my singing voice is returning a little. I can sing pretty well, so that's always been an option. But I'd rather just play the axe. I've often been of the opinion that singers get the chicks, but guitarists get the respect. I'm not looking to nail groupies at this point in my life. I think I just want a little man-worship. I hope you are all laughing right now. That was said tongue-in-cheek.

Hey, if you're a kid or if you have a kid that is taking music lessons, please, PLEASE stick with it. Don't let frustration influence you to quit. If you quit, you will end up like me, 40-something years old, trying to do something you should have done years ago, and playing catch-up in a big way. If you're an adult and just starting, or re-discovering something like playing an instrument, just freakin' DO IT. I always thought it was too late to start and kept putting it off. Now I know what I want out of my playing. So, now I'm going to stick with it. I have to, or else there's no reason for LEN IS RIGHT.

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES.
Be Well, people, and thanks for indulging the Metal Head.
I am,
Len Tollerton

2ND BEST=LOSER

Hello Folks:

I hope everyone had a good weekend. I know my friends in Florida are bumming about the Buccaneers losing to the Giants, but are happy about the Jags beating the Steelers. Here is the LEN IS RIGHT take on the NFL Playoffs: Of all of the teams in the AFC Playoffs, I believe the ONLY team that the Patriots DIDN'T want to see was the Jaguars.

Here's why. The Pats have already defeated the Colts and know what makes them tick. Same with the Chargers. You couldn't have been impressed by the game San Diego played against the Titans. The Pats dominated the Steelers and the Titans weren't going anywhere. The Jags, however, are a team with a ferocious Defense who have this uncanny knack for beating teams they have no business beating, on the road. True, Jags QB, David Garrard, will have to step up and play a consistent game. The Pats have shown, recently, that they can give up points. If the Jags can score a few times, they may be able to hold the Pats in check. I don't think it'll really happen, but I think the Jags are the only AFC team that can beat the Patriots.

In the NFC it'll be Dallas over the Packers to go to the Super Bowl. I think the Giants will come back to reality this week, and the Seahawks could make it close, but the Pack will be led by Favre to the NFC Championship game.

2ND BEST MEANS YOU'RE A LOSER
Played poker with Roy, the GB King, Chuck, the E o D, DotCom, and Justin the Extreme over the weekend. I was the big loser (only $80...not too bad), but a tenet of poker hit home while I was getting fleeced by my friends. When you're 2nd best at the poker table, you are the loser. And I was 2nd best several times. The best one was, while playing a hand of Omaha, I got the Ace-High Flush on the Turn, only to have the guy I went All-In against pull his Full House on the River to sink the sword into my rib-cage. UGH. Don't be 2nd best if you can avoid it.

2 SONGS TO CHECK OUT
I don't have links to give you right now, but if you get the chance, check out these 2 songs:

1.-The Pot by Tool--A hard rock song that is ABSOLUTELY thumping. Tool is a strange band of superior musicians who play with different time-signatures within their songs. This song is a 6-minute epic that just is all over the place but is just an excellent song. If you can take some hard rock, think about downloading it just to check out

2.--Ice Queen by Within Temptation--This song is in the style of Progressive Metal (symphonic/Gothic) and is a really great song. What makes it so special is the undeniable talent of the singer Sharon Den Adel. Her voice is high and powerful and you wouldn't think she belongs in a band like this. But she really sings beautifully, and the song rocks. This band is from the Netherlands and is really talented. If you get the chance, go to YouTube and type in Within Temptation and look for the video for Ice Queen. Very cool imagery, fantastic song. They also do a killer version of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill. Definitely worth checking out.

While you're at YouTube, also check out a similar band, Nightwish, and their song NEMO. Very good song. Even though you may not be into this type of music, just check out the voices on the female singers in Within Temptation and Nightwish, and the fantastic musicianship from the American band Tool. I think you'll get some appreciation out of it.

Okay, that's all for now. Be Well and Be RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton

CHECK OUT MINDWALK!!

Minions:
While surfing on YouTube, I came across this band, MINDWALK.
PLEASE go to YouTube and check out the videos for the RUSH covers of Limelight and YYZ, and check out their original song Glory's Gates.

These guys are in MIDDLE SCHOOL--ages 11-14. Except for the singing, which isn't fantastic, these kids are obviously prodigies. Is this what the guys in Rush were like when they were this age. I think this is pretty impressive. This is what Jackson aspires to do before he gets out of high school.

Trust me on this one. LEN IS RIGHT.
I am,
Len Tollerton

QUICK KUDOS TO JESS

Hey people:
Just a quick post to congratulate a young friend of mine (and maybe yours, too), Jessica Koehler, for getting her first by-line and story as a Staff Writer for the Albany Times Union. Jess is the daughter of good friends Kevin and Barb Koehler of Albany (Kev is Connor's godfather--he also works at Amtrak). She attends Russell Sage College in Troy, NY and I believe she is majoring in Journalism.

I've known Jess for most of her life and I've never known a girl who was so into sports, especially College Hoop and Volleyball. She is a BIG fan of my cousin, Matt Carroll of the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA and (unfortunately) a die-hard Atlanta Braves fan...at least until they traded Marcus Giles away to the Padres.

You can read her story at www.timesunion.com Click on the Sports Section, go to high-school sports and look for the headline reading "Powell lifts unbeaten Chatham." Here is the actual link to the page where the story is. I don't know if it'll work, so if not, just use the path I described.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=652342&category=HSSPORTS&BCCode=&newsdate=1/4/2008

So, Jess, I want to congratulate you publicly and wish you the best of luck in a field that I know you love. It's important to do something you have passion for and you seem to be on the right track. Maybe after you get out of college, the offers from USA Today, ESPN, or Fox Sports will come in droves. Chase your dream, kid, and don't let anybody dissuade you from getting what you want. This is the first step. The journey is a long one, but you've made a good start. Chase the Dream.

Chant it out for her, everybody...LEN IS RIGHT!! LEN IS RIGHT!! LEN IS RIGHT!!
Peace to my people here on Earth.
I am,
Len Tollerton

WHAT'S UP FOR 2008

People of mine:
Welcome to 2008. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Right? Well, maybe, maybe not. As usual, the world felt the exact same to me after the ball dropped last night. Of course, I had been up for the previous 32 hours, so I may have been a little world-weary. Or maybe just weary.

So many of us make the famous New Year's resolutions. Quit smoking, lose weight, get a better job, be nicer to people or treat my loved ones better are some of the ones you often hear. The vast majority have often failed by the end of the week, let alone the end of the month. But we all like to believe we have a clean slate on New Year's Day, right? We like to have the Promise of Potentiality. That is, we like to believe that there is half a goddamn chance that the potential for a better life, or a better US begins on January 1. Folks, in reality, this is the weak-minded looking for a crutch. Hey, you want to do something bad enough, you aren't going to wait around till the end of the year to make it happen, are you?

You know it's time to quit smoking. Since December 1st, I've only had 3 cigarettes. The meds I've taken (Chantix), have made it so I don't really even think about smoking. No lie. I thought I'd have a problem when I had a few drinks. But that hasn't been the case at all. The 3 that I've had were out of boredom, or because I was agitated by some dickhead in the world who caused me some grief. I know it's too soon to tell, but I really think I'm over ciggys.

I, personally, have only 2 other things I'd really like to accomplish this year. One would be to lose about 40 lbs. and get stronger, physically. To do this, I am going to have to force myself to actually get my ass into the health club I belong to. The other thing is to become a MUCH better guitar player than I am now. To do this, I'm going to have to do more than just practice. I have to spend some money and take a few lessons. At $14/half-hour, I think I can afford to take a few lessons. What is my goal? Besides being able to play well for my own enjoyment, I'd like to be able to jam w/ other musicians or friends that play, and not embarass myself. I guess I'd like to impress people once in a while.

I know that NONE of you will respond on this site, but I'd like to hear a few of the things that my Minions are trying to accomplish this year. And if you're going to email me or respond to this site, make it something that you REALLY plan on doing. No past glories. Just honest thoughts of the future, okay? Make it as funny as you can, because we all need some comedy in our lives, too. Like, I've always wanted to be a rock star. But I realize that I'm far past that point now. Besides the music industry is a young person's game. But I think I could stand in front of a crowd, with a mike in hand, and belt out some vintage hard rock, and still hit a high-note or two. I'd REALLY like to stand in front of people and rip off a blistering solo on a guitar. That's my goal for 2008. Become a competent guitarist. Hopefully, I'll be able to devote enough time for it. The question arises: Does anyone really want to see a middle aged, balding, fat bastard wailing metal classics on a Dean guitar?

How come it takes so many of us (and I mean myself) to need the aging process to gain wisdom? I know a bunch of people who knew what they wanted at an early age and went after it as soon as High School was over. Guys like Paul the Judge, Sean the Spy, and Patty the Lovely 5th Grade Teacher always knew what they wanted to do. Me? I knew but had feet of clay, and was never able to get past discouragement or setbacks. The love affair with the Kind bud hasn't helped in that regard either.

But now I can see a little more clearly. It's probably a good thing I never became a rock star, cause I'd probably be dead or institutionalized by now. These days, I have the wisdom to know that I can do things to please myself without having to be a STAR. It's nice to be able to know something in your mind without having to prove it to millions.

I am rambling on without direction, now, so I'll end this rant. I'll just leave you with this thought. IT'S ALL INSIDE OF YOU. UNLOCK YOURSELF AND BELIEVE IN YOU. If you don't, no one else out there cares enough to take the time to drag it out of you. You know that LEN IS RIGHT. Now it's time for all of you to go out and be right. You can do it.

I am,
Len Tollerton