Ballpoint Pens

It's rare that someone's side project is as good or interesting as their main band.

But I can't say enough about Ballpoint Pens. That's Ross's other band besides the Gaskets.

I liked his stuff enough before to edit it into a home movie I made for my family. Just footage of the little kids playing. And that should tell you how the music sounds if it can suit a family video; warm, fun, familiar. Anyways you can get the newest Ballpoint Pens' album for free right here.


I can too as soon as I figure out how to convert a zip file.

I am an idiot.

Nov 12, 250 years ago

Did the Germans have advance warning we would be attacked?

Yes.

I'm no conspiracy nut but they did.

I'm referring of course to this date in history 250 years ago when French Canadians and Indians attacked and plundered the town of Herkimer NY.

All the houses and buildings were burned, and the grain, cattle and horses, except what was consumed by the raiding party for their own subsistence, were brought back to Montréal


Although the cause of the war is often touted as French fear of anti-Catholicism in the English territories or expanding fur trading opportunities, look at this:

The damage inflicted on the enemy is estimated, according to the representations of the English themselves, to wit : in grain of all sorts, a much larger quantity than the Island of Montréal has produced in years of abundance, the same of hogs, 3,000 horned cattle, 3,000 sheep. All these articles have been sent, in a few days, to Corlaer

Wake up people! This war was about Big Hog!

But what could we have done to stop it? Easy. How about not patting our asses when the warning came from an Oneida chief?


they paid not the least regard to what I told them; and laughed at me, slapping their hands on their buttocks, saying they did not value the Enemy


Granted that doesn't sound like Germans to me either but remember they had been living in the Mohawk Valley for some years.

The Year So Far

Well the CD has been out for a while now. The reception in general has been good if subdued. I can't say I can retire off of Cold Harbor's CD Baby's income but I can't complain. Maybe I fantasized about a grassroots groundswell that propelled me into megastardom. Heck, Time magazine picked me- ME!- as person of the year last year so I thought I had some momentum. But my profile hasn't changed. That's probably for the better. I'm insufferable as it is.

But I should note I've reached some lofty goals I've set for myself. Not just goals for the year, but goals for my life. One was getting a review in No Depression- and I had a good review at that. That was the highlight of my year. And I had a son born too! So um, yeah my wife doesn't read this. If that wasn't cool enough, the same writer, Rick Cornell, interviewed me for Raleigh/Durham's Independent Weekly. It's a cliche to say, I know, but that was a freaking honor.

The other goal was met when I stood next to my idol Scott Miller as his opening act, The Atkinsons, covered one of my songs and I had never even heard of that band before*. I was able to turn to Scott and say "Hey, I wrote that song."

Strange goals, yeah I admit that. But they satisfied something in me. Maybe something so deep that it's taken a little drive. Once the album was finished I didn't know what to do in regards to promoting it. It's been sent to a few sites but only Bluesbunny.com reviewed it. I'm grateful for that. But no one else seems much interested. So if you can think of a few sites that might be let me know. I could use the help.




* I'm lying for the sake of the story. I know and love them and had begged them to play the song.