Cliff

a night to remember...

2007-08-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

i had thoughts and ideas about what monkeyshyne's final dallas show at the curtain club would be like, but my expectations were completely blown away. it was an unforgettable memory i will cherise always.
it was an unbelievable night, surrounded by the dearest of my friends, watching four guys that have become brothers to me over the past year and a half receive the adoration they so greatly deserve after 7+ years of unforgettable music and entertainment.
thank you to everyone who came out to curtain club last night to give the guys a truly amazing send-off.
keep supporting d/fw music all you can. please contribute to my community project, www.saveDFWmusic.com . last night was proof that truly quality music must live on in a truly great venue. let's keep that passion alive.
thanks again and much love to all.
peace, love and ductape (thanks colin)

people are funny

2007-07-19T15:18:00.001-07:00

it's amazing how people can be so upset or crushed yet in no time flat (while still claiming to be hurt mind you) have COMPLETELY moved on. talk is cheap.

Moving On

2007-05-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

It's not often you see it coming.
Sometimes it's inevitable.
There's a change that life is bringing.
Are you willing to move on?

I've faced this dilema in the past.
Never having the courage to face the journey.
Always taking the road most travelled.

Seeking what?
Comfort?
Security?

And what have I always seemed to find?
Unhappiness.

Never showing the courage to move on.
False courage at times.
Making it seem to others I had made some brave decision.
When really it was the easy way out.

Now I face the journey again.
The road has diverged one more time.
And a choice shall be made.

Comfort?
Security?
False Courage?

Or, the journey?

For the first time in my life.
I choose the journey.

I chose the journey.

I'll see you in happiness.

"Sometimes you take the trip. Sometimes the trip takes you"
- John Steinbeck (meaningful to me in Erik Saperston's The Journey)

ok ok, i know, dont panic...

2007-05-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I'm here I promise.
haven't exactly been in a blogging mood lately. but i'm back and grooving to go. let's see, what's new?

hmmm...

uh, OH, my photography website www.clcimaging.com is going through an extensive redesign to make it look, well for lack of a better phrase, less shitty.
plans to go ahead with the online local music magazine are still on hold for now, need to get the photography business rollin' so i can have some capital going into something new.

i must say this, i have realized over the last few weeks how great my close friends are. of course my best friend bryan is always there, but i've also truly realized the kind of friends i have in the boys from monkeyshyne. don't know what i'd do without those guys.

(chris, i still hate you, in a loving-hate kinda way)

its nice to have people you can go to, hang out with, talk about things and not have to worry about being shit on. these guys are the real deal. so i guess i should be thanking my other dear dear friend amy for introducing me to these guys, including her husband chris, who i still hate.

...in a loving-hate kinda way

anyways, things are rollin along and i'm glad to be back and talking on here again, i'll try and keep up this time and check out www.clcimaging.com in the next couple weeks for the new look.

colin---- peace, love and DUCK TAPE KEITH!!!

Ooops. Slacking

2007-04-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I didn't make it far in my trip before the blogs stopped, so let me try and catch up.

DAY 3...
Today was the practice round for the Legends Tour Golf Tournament. Really not an overly eventful day. I drove around the course looking for the players and realized that not all the guys bothered to practice, but did come across two pretty cool foursomes...

Michael Strahan, Clinton Portis, Eric Dickerson, Greg Lloyd

Bruce Smith, Lawrence Taylor, Jim Kelly, Darrell Talley

The rest of the day was very eventful, relxing the afternoon away knowing Friday would be a long day.

DAY 4...
Tournament day. Gypsy and I headed out to the golf course around 8:00 am to get set up for a 9:00 shotgun start. I was to be stationed at the 15th hole. A 166-yard par 3 playing downhill and with the wind. Roughly a nine iron. But you don't care about that. this is what you care about. the view from the tee box...

Out of the 11 groups that came through in the tournament only 3 or 4 players hit the green. Can't blame them for being distracted. By the way, Lawrence Taylor shot a 67 on his ball and his team still came in second.
Here are your winners, the Dave and Lonnie Stewart team (don't know the other guy's names)...

The awards dinner was that night. Great food, PLENTY of drinks, but more importantly an extremely heart-felt speech by Virginia Tech Alumn Bruce Smith about the tragedy that occured there this past week. His wife is also a VT grad.

DAY 5...
Saturday was a work day for me. Gypsy had a well deserved sleep-in while I headed into the casino office to begin the process of printing out the team photos and stuffing them into photo folders. that took most of the day.
I came back to the room and relaxed after, then last night Gypsy and I joined the golf course crew for a little poker (I came in 3rd, broke even). Then we headed out to the beach for a little karoke, I of course didnt sing, but Gypsy and the golf guys did.
ok, that's all for now. will try and keep up the rest of the trip.

St. Kitts Day 2

2007-04-19T04:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so as it turns out, this place is pretty amazing during the day too. After sleeping in until about 11 local time (by the way, its eastern time here) i met up with gypsy for lunch at a beach-side cafe that was very good.

then it was off to meet some of her co-workers to discuss how my photography job would work for the golf tournament while i was here. after a brief meeting where things were settled i headed back to the house to relax for a bit.

that didn't last long, i decided to head to the beach to see what it was like. well, the beach was beautiful, the ocean amazing, but, the sand was VERY hot, so i gave up early and headed back to the house for a nap.

then it was time to head back up to the hotel to photograph the golf guests as they arrived. just to give you and idea about who is here for this, here's the short list of players:

Michael Strahan
Eric Dickerson
Clinton Portis
Deacon Jones
Kevin Greene
Jim Kelly
Bruce Smith
and many more...

after check-in everyone headed down to the north pool, which is one of the smaller pools kinda away from things for a welcome reception with dinner and drinks. it was nice, the food was great and the booze was flowing.

after about and hour or two out there, gypsy and i decided we were done and headed back to the room, she was very tired and i can't say i blame her.

so tomorrow i'm off to the golf course to look around and watch the practice round of the tournament and get the lay of the land for friday's photography set-up.

peace out homies. will check in again.

St. Kitts Day 1

2007-04-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

ok, so really it's st. kitts night 1. I didn't get here until about 9:00 tuesday night. The day started REAL early. woke up about 5 am to get ready. had an 8:30 flight to San Juan, P.R.

got there a little early which teased me, turns out there was a 1:45 flight to st. kitts. we got there at 1:30. nope, didnt make it. which meant staying at the san juan airport for nearly 5 1/2 hours waiting on a 7:30 flight.

so, with that long a wait in mind and hunger eating away at me, what's the first thing i do in what is a foreign land (to me anyways), i find the nearest Domino's pizza. i go outside the box huh?

let me say this about san juan, the airport smelled funny, ok let's clarify, it smelled like shit.

but, every single person i saw at the airport that was from san juan, mainly workers, all had non-stop smiles and laughter, handshakes all around, kisses on the cheek for each other and warm greetings for all. it was an amazing thing to see coming from what can by a VERY cynical place like where we live.

anyways, we finally get to board our tiny plane. prolly not even 100 people on the plane.

after a 1 hour flight to st. kitts, in which you look out the window and see NOTHING over the ocean but the most amazing stars you've ever seen in your life. stars all the way to the horizon. it was truly breathtaking.

we land in st. kitts at an airport about the size of a whataburger. customs is a little confusing, but i got through the stamping part easily, FIRST STAMP IN THE NEW PASSPORT!!! woohoo.

then came the customs declaration area. the guy laughed at me for having 2 big boxes of honey nut cheerios. hey, gypsy asked, i delivered.

waiting oustide the airport was of course the amazing gypsy, ready to tackle me with a hug. it was incredible to see her. it had been since feb. 25 when she left to come work down here.

we loaded up in the back of an expedition limo she had waiting and headed to the resort. very dark outside, but still the resort looked amazing. we got to the room, dropped off my stuff, went out for dinner (great jerk chicken sandwich) the came back home to sleep, ;o) yeah right. ok. peace out. i know that one was long and not too eventful, but i will try and blog every day i'm here.
peace and love. everyone should come down here and visit.

p.s. I will be posting pics as often as i can. here's the first...

Enough is Enough

2007-04-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

My self-imposed internship status is over. I'm no longer a freebie photog for future employers. And to those future employers, be ready to pay for my talents. Ego? maybe. But enough is enough. I work too hard to get nothing out of it financially.

It's true, I've lived most of my life not worrying about money and most of the time its caused nothing but problems. I've realized it's easy to live that life when you have money. I have none. I barely have the ability to pay bills most months. I've lived the embarrassment of an eviction notice on my door as recently as last month.
so that's it. from now on if you want my to shoot for you I'd be happy to, just know my days of gratis work are over.

check in at www.clcimaging.com soon for my price list for shoots and contact me anytime.

if i sound pissed in this blog you're right. I'm incredibly frustrated. but as you all know, that won't last long. I'm a happy-go-lucky guy generally speaking. I'll be back and running soon enough.
and before some people go getting all upset thinking this is an indictment of them, it's not, this is about me and my lack of initiative in my own career.

peace and love to my peeps.

ATTENTION CLASS!!!

2007-04-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

i want you to look at this very closely...

i think everyone needs to pick up their driver's handbook again and remember what that sign means. it doesnt mean speed up and nearly run my ass over, it means i gots the right of way people and slow your punk-ass down. especially those of you at 360 and 183. morons.

ahhh...

2007-03-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

there are times when my job with monkeyshyne comes with those extra little perks...

hmmm...

2007-03-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

so the computer guy was confused by letters on polar opposite sides of the keyboard?

huh?

2007-03-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

is there a new band member who's last name starts with an M?

nearly peed my pants...

2007-03-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

this is waaaay too funny

problem solved...

2007-03-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

seems to me if a certain band, who wishes to remain, MONKEYSHYNE, nameless (like that tecnique keith), wanted to make situations like this disappear forever, they could put their "road guy", by the way a title i hate, in charge of such things.

here's how it would work. I WOULD CONTROL THE MONKEYSHYNE CREDIT CARD!!! yes yes, i love this idea. then i could book hotels and get posters printed and sent out to where they are needed.

between chris' head buffing appointments, keith's "school work", colin's nap time and oz's just plain being pretty, it seems the only one with the time to handle these things is of course the reliable one, ME.

oh, p.s. guys, i can't make it to wichita falls tonight. sorry
ok, peace i'm outta here.

uh oh...

2007-03-10T07:47:00.000-08:00

say it isnt so keith...

---
AP Texas News
March 9, 2007, 10:15PM
Frito-Lay recalls mispackaged chips
© 2007 The Associated Press

PLANO, Texas — Frito-Lay recalled 92 cases of mispackaged chips Friday that could pose a threat to people with food allergies, the Food and Drug Administration said.
The Plano-based company announced the recall of 5,520 bags of Fritos Original Corn Chips that were distributed in Texas and Louisiana. The 2 oz. bags are marked as Fritos Original Corn Chips but may contain Fritos Chili Cheese Flavored Corn Chips. The chips could cause a serious reaction for people who are allergic or sensitive to milk or wheat.
The affected bags are dated May 8 on the upper right hand side of the package and have a 10 digit code number of 62730483692, 62730483592 or 62730483992 beneath the date.
Consumers can return the product where they bought it, or they can contact Frito-Lay Consumer Affairs at 1-800-352-4477.
---

ok, ok, disaster averted. no worries

bottom line...

2007-03-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

here's the bottom line on the entire weekend road trip. forget run-run's issues, hotel issues or anything else, this is it...

i really like keith's boots when someone other than keith is wearing them. some of you know what i mean.
peace out.

it's official

2007-02-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

yes, gypsy has officially moved to st. kitts as of sunday. thank you to all who made it out to firewater saturday night for the monkeyshyne show and going away party for gypsy. it was a blast.
to my friends who have asked, yes i'm ok, no i don't have a gun to my head. all is good. i will be down to see her in about a month and a half and may be down there even longer in about 5 or 6 months, so all is well.
i hope to see all my temple friends this friday at bum's and a new set of friends this saturday in austin.
peace out.

i'm baaaaack

2007-02-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

so reno was a freakin blast!!!
i can't think of a better birthday present than getting to spend a weekend in reno with an amazing woman.
i will have pictures from the trip eventually, once they are screened and censored, haha.
i hope to see everyone at firewater saturday night for a great show with monkeyshyne and vallejo. also, everyone come out there for gypsy's going away party. its gonna be a night of drinking, laughs, rock and no doubt a tear or two as she heads off the following day for st. kitts.
peace out all.

leaving...

2007-02-13T08:46:00.000-08:00

ok, not for good.

yet.

no, i'm heading to reno on thursday to celebrate my 31st birthday courtesy of my amazing girlfriend. she spoils me in so many ways, i'm a lucky lucky man.
unfortunately she is leaving for good on the 25th, accepting a job in st. kitts down in the virgin islands.
with that in mind, come out to firewater on the 24th to see monkeyshyne and vallejo and to say farewell to gypsy. we have declared that night to be her going away party.
but, for now, i say so long for a few days as i head out to reno for fun times.
peace, love and ductape.

bored...

2007-02-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

ok, seriously, i need some sort of musical stimulation or something. i'm bored off my ass at work. HELP!!!

correction...

2007-01-17T15:28:00.000-08:00

ok, so apparently st. kitts is not in the bahamas. its further south near puerto rico. oh well, my bad.

the new year...

2007-01-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

well, two-zero-zero-seven is upon us and my how things have changed in my world the past month.
the joy that has entered my life goes by one name, gypsy. i couldnt have imagined being this happy. its funny, she wrote a blog on her myspace just a couple weeks after our first lunch that sums things up pretty well for both of us. about the time we stopped looking for something, we found each other.
there is a story here, its not like she was a complete stranger, although based purely on time she might as well have been. see, we had not seen each other since 1991. we had a french class together at my first high school. we were friends, united in making fun of each other and skating, her with wheels, me on ice.
i left for new york, then iowa, then oklahoma, to a very very brief hockey career then back to dallas. she traveled the world kicking everyone's ass in women's inline speed skating then back to waco.
and now, here we are, a month into what i can only hope is a lifetime of happiness. but there is no doubt its gonna be a different kinda deal with us. at the end of february she is leaving for st. kitts. yes, that st. kitts, the small island in the bahamas.
but lets be clear, i am very very happy she decided to take the job offer down there. one person i mentioned this to said, damn you can't catch a break. well that's a load of crap, i found gypsy after all these years and no distance will keep us from being happy. as we've talked, it'll just keep the excitement level up to an huge peak each time we are together. and besides, gives me a second home in the islands, haha. kidding.
so if you happen to be in temple on the 20th come out to bums and meet the woman that makes me so happy.
see you all soon,
peace, love and ductape.
p.s. monkeyshyne and the opus flux are booking shows like crazy right now. check out their myspace pages to find a show near you.
www.monkeyshyne.com www.theopusflux.com
and check out their pics on my website:
www.clcimaging.com

happy again...

2006-12-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

i have been more and more amazed lately about the things that are happening in my life. just when i was at my most confused and, especially here lately, most frustrated point, something or someone enters or, in this case, reenters my life and brings a smile and hope back that had faded for a time.
in just a single 5 hour afternoon, which began as a simple lunch, a smile was back on my face. i won't get into particulars now, maybe someday soon depending on what happens, but just say that i am very happy again. i know some were worried about me here lately. i've been bitter, pissed, slightly depressed and ready to just say screw it all, but its times like this i realize that someone truly is looking over me and does want me to be happy.
i want to thank all of my friends and extended family who have offered their concerns for me over the last few months. its been a trying time with all the changes that have happened to me since the summer and the support i've gotten is still quite unbelievable.
just know now that i am happy. i'm not always the best at expressing those types of things and i apologize. i have much love for my dear friends. even those who piss me off from time to time, haha. you know who you are. love ya bro.
anyways, this may be my last blog for a while with the holiday season on hand. so happy holiday's to all, no matter what you celebrate make it a safe holiday and end of year and a safe entry into the new year.
love to all,
peace, love and ductape,
cliff

FANTABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!

2006-12-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

what a night. saturday night was an awesome night for the guys and myself. thanks to everyone who came out in support. new and old friends alike. sorta akward night for me at times, but now that i'm sober and no longer hungover beyond belief i know i did the right thing. although i must say, shiner, jager, tequila and whatever else a few people brought over to me to shoot made things VERY hazy at times.
so much love to everyone, especially, chris, oz, colin, keith, tull, brandi, christian and brock. not to mention amy, jk, brandy and everyone else i forgot. it was awesome. love you all and happy holidays.

get real

2006-12-07T11:58:00.000-08:00

i'm tired of people who seem to refuse to think outside the box. seems like in everything i've done lately, whether its my photography, design or whatever, no matter who its for i'm getting the line, "you have to realize its a business, this is how things are done in this business."
BULLSHIT!
why are people so afraid to go against the norm? you get dragged through a business, whether sports, entertainment or general corporate and you think things must be done as they always have. well guess what, the successful people are those who refuse to live by the standards and limitations that are preexisting.
you think a bill gates, mark cuban, etc... worried about standards and limits? hell no. they thought outside the box, did what others had always been afraid to do, refused to conform.
let's all stop putting dumbass labels on everything we do in life and go with what are hearts and creative minds tell us to do. i think we would all be amazed at the results.
stop conforming. i'm not calling for anarchy here, besides, have you ever looked at the people that say they are non-conformist anarchists? what a load of crap, they all dress alike too. screw it, be original, stop bowing down to the general standards and practices and be creative.
if you want to stay in that box, fine, just don't be suprised if those of us who broke out don't load you up on a uhaul and ship your boring, conformist ass off to a cubical.
get real people, enough of the bullshit. it is about friendships and the gray area. i'm out, gotta box to ship.

stupid

2006-12-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

never mind. i was wrong

prescription: MONKEYSHYNE

2006-12-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

i have learned over the last 10 months or so that no matter what kinda mood i'm in, crappy or otherwise, no matter who i may be pissed at or just generally annoyed with, nothing seems to matter once the guys hit the stage and do what they love, allowing me to do what i love.
that was never more apparent than last saturday night in temple. still kinda peeved about certain events over the last few weeks i headed to temple for a night of fun and was not disappointed. you can't beat the comraderie of a van of friends on a road trip. some of the crap we come up with on those trips boggles the mind. once there, meeting up with our friends from opus flux just added to the fun.
i forgot everything i had been pissed about and realized i am very very lucky to have friends like this who i get to hang with and bond with. the other shit doesnt matter in the long run. these are the memories that make it worthwhile.
until next time, in the words of the great colin watson,
peace, love and ductape.
p.s. chris i am still pissed for that 2 year comment though. you suck. HA HA

sooo close

2006-12-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

well, one day of freezing weather just isnt enough for me. i was in heaven yesterday with the 20 degree weather and the texas version of snow. after 3 years in upstate new york i have grown to miss the cold, snowy weather.
ive always had the theory and this theory is why i love the cold so much and perhaps is has something to do with me being a fat bastard, but i digress. the theory is, there are only so many clothes you can talk off in the heat, but you can always add clothes in the cold.
now if you find that counter-productive in the relationship sense, forget it, nothing better than cold nights for finding ways of staying warm. hows that sound to everyone?
on another note, monkeyshyne is headed back out. after keith's treck to mexico, and who doesnt wanna hear that story, the boys are headed to temple on the 2nd, back to dallas on the 9th and off to tyler on the 16th. come one, come all.
peace, love and ductape.

whatever

2006-11-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

yeah, that's it, whatever. nothing to show for it. pissed

stressed

2006-11-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

i can't even lie, i've been very stressed about getting the cd design finished. its my biggest graphic design project yet in terms of my future career. i'm happy with how its turning out and the guys seem to be too. just have the last part to do, the important part, the cover. should have that done by tomorrow morning some time. later than i would like, but it will be done.
so for any of you that i've not responded to lately, i'm sorry, between the move and the design work i've been outta my mind. see everyone soon.

all moved in...

2006-11-06T19:44:00.000-08:00

well almost. i still have a load of stuff in my car thats been there for a couple days, but i'm so freakin tired and sore that i decided to wait. the move was terrible. took longer than it should of and then the movers charged me $768. what a crappy weekend.
but all is not lost, the new place is great and i'm glad to be near all my friends again. hope to see everyone soon. peace, love and ductape

life is good right now

2006-11-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

i am so happy to have fallen into some amazing photography gigs this past year. monkeyshyne started things off for me, followed by the desperados, cowboys and now the dallas stars ice girls. but having said that, i am always looking for any other opportunities to shoot. monkeyshyne is always my priority, but any band that is looking for someone to shoot for them let me know. peace love and ductape everyone.

i'm baaaaack

2006-10-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

ok, so the computer is back and better than ever, until the next time i screw it up of course. now i can finish up the cd design, get my webpage rollin and blog with the regularity of the full moon. woohoo. ok, kidding klewta, don't cut me off again.

almost back

2006-10-30T12:22:00.000-08:00

ok, i've been outta the loop for nearly 2 weeks now and i'm losing my mind. my computer finally crapped out on me a couple weeks ago and i was forced into getting a new hard drive installed. hopefully i will be fully operational this week so i can get back to the business of designing monkeyshyne's latest cd. oh, and for those who dont know, this saturday i am moving out of crazy ft. worth and headed to lewisville. come on out and see me. peace love and ductape

I F#*@ING LOVE TEMPLE!!!

2006-10-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

and really, how could i not with nights like this...

frustration...

2006-10-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

ok, let me start by saying as an OU fan i know we were not supposed to win this game and probably woudlnt have either way, but i do have to say i'm getting pretty sick of the officiating in college football.those of you that know me know i dont sit here and go on and on about OU and don't talk shit about texas, so no need to give me a hard time about this game. like i said, i know OU was supposed to lose this, but if you have a brain in your head you have to realize that the officiating in the ncaa is reaching all-time lows.again, i know the fumble call made little if no difference in the outcome, its the principle of the thing.there's my rant for now.

dealing with elderly

2006-10-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

well, since i'm apparently the one that never blogs i figured i'd break the cycle. sometimes when there are family issues involved the last thing i can think about is writing a freakin blog. earlier this year my grandmother turned 90 and as great as that was it has become apparent that she is indeed showing her age. dementia, paranoia and other things have creeped in making it tough on the family to find suitable care for her. its not that wonderful assisted living homes wouldnt take her, she just doesnt wanna be wherever she is at the time, despite what she says. when shes in georgia she hates it and wants to be in austin, when shes in austin she hates it and wants to be in georgia. for others who are dealing with these issues i feel your frustration.
of course, the problem is, with all the stress that she puts herself in with this turmoil, her 90-year-old body struggles to handle it. i fear h0w much longer she has. but haveing been given the wonderful opportunity to live with her for 5 years, i know that i learned alot from her and will always remember those years.

Colin = Gay

2006-09-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

i must reiderate chris' comments. sorry colin, but that's just gay. maybe not as gay as this...

but i would expect nothing less from those two.

fiberglass issues

2006-09-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

ok chris, just for your information i thought this might all be usefull to you:

"Fiberglass or fibreglass is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. It is used as a reinforcing agent for many polymer products; the resulting composite material, properly known as fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP), is called "fiberglass" in popular usage." - Wilkepedia

"A rash can appear when the fibers become embedded in the outer layer of the skin. No long-term health effects should occur from touching fiberglass." - Illinois Department of Public Health.

chris i hope you learned a valuable lesson.

ahhhhh

2006-09-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

ok, losing my mind trying to get this magazine off the ground. sorry for the looooooong delay on the blogging. dont worry, no need to give me crap, the boys in monkeyshyne took care of that for everyone.
its gonna be a busy couple months for all of us. wichita falls, ft. worth and denton still to come this month and next month there are five shows, including a return to the falls, the lake dallas club, of course the temple and tyler gigs, finishing off the month at big johnson's beer garden.
come out to as many shows as you can. the boys are busting out their new material from their next cd which is nearing completion. stay tuned for the big, bad, rawkin release party.

i'm still kickin'

2006-08-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

ok, so its been a while since i've blogged. my bad. if you've been reading my blogs lately you know i am in the process of starting a couple businesses. well, i knew it would be a time-consuming and stressful process and it has been all that and even more.
but, it sure has been fun.
the latest update on www.dfwlivemag.com is it's still under construction. i am hoping to have the general layout of the page up within a month or so with stories being posted as soon as possible.
thanks to all of you that have supported me in this process. the reward is coming soon. peace

Refreshed

2006-08-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading my blogs lately you know that I have been very introspective lately. Well, my decision has been reached and I feel a peace and joy that I haven't felt my entire life. I am leaving school to begin my journey into life.
I have three major projects in the works now. First is my photography/graphic design business www.clcimaging.com. Second, and perhaps most exciting, is my new online magazine, www.dwflivemag.com. Ok, before you say anything, there is nothing on that site yet, but stay tuned, it's gonna be fun.
Third on the list is a journey I've been planning. In one of my previous blogs I mentioned a wonderful film called the Journey. Well, I am heading out on my own Journey hopefull beginning of next year or perhaps next summer, depending on sponsorships and funding.
Anyways, I thank all of you who have supported me during this time of introspection on my part, in particular my mom, bryan and the monkeyshyne guys. You are all amazing people.

Studio: Day 1

2006-08-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I got off to a roaring start in the studio Friday. Yes, the guys are finally in the studio again, working on their next in a line of superb Monkeyshyne CDs and I've already blown it. In my defense, and its a pathetic defense, I was under the wrong impression that we were only headed to the studio last night to unload the gear and leave. As it turns out we were there for nearly 4 hours as Chris and Oz put down scratch tracks for Keith and Colin. Anyways, I thought I would give you guys an idea of what things looked like yesterday from my camera. You eye's don't decieve you, I left my camera on Chris' kicthen table, so this is all i got. I promise to do better.

Rockstar:Supernova

2006-08-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

if you havent been watching this show you are missing out on some unreal talent.
i realize i will piss off my fellow texans with this, especially my friend jamie who continues to post bulletins on myspace to vote for texan patrice pike, but good grief, how in the hell can you not root for Dilana.
if you've been watching you know what i'm talking about. this beautiful woman has as much talent as anyone in the industry today. what takes her over the top is her unique voice and style.
while i'm on the topic of unique, could we please get the freakin zayra off this damn show. she's an embarrasment. i'm not sure she even knows what rock is.
tonight's performance was painful to watch from her. you've got to be kidding me with this. if she's not off the show after this crap then i have lost respect for what has become one of my must watch Tivo shows.
ok, that's all i have for today. no deep thoughts from me like last week, but stay tuned, you never know when i may be inspired.
peace.

ROCK AND ROLL!!!!!!!!!

2006-07-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

ok, i'm with chris and oz. i think i started the most recent episodes of introspective crap. enough is enough. let's f'ing rock and roll. can't wait to get the Run-Run the Magic Bus 2006 World Tour off and running again. look out temple, here come's the shyne!!!!!!!!

taking back the power and the passion

2006-07-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

i haven't been able to get these thoughts out of my head. this burden has decended upon me lately when i realize i do not have power over my own life. i put on a good front, but as it turns out i don't.
i have been very very fortunate to have a family that supports me when it comes to my education and what not, but i have realized that with that support i have lost the power over my life. i dont have a choice but to finish school, whether i like it or not.

bullshit.

it goes back to am i really happy and am i doing what i really want to be doing. i've said for years i wanted to teach. but what does that really mean?
i dont have to be in some school somewhere to teach. i can teach anywhere. i dont need some bullshit fucking degree to give me permission to teach. i dont need some bullshit degree to do what i love to do.
when did we all lose our power?
i think many of us lost it and dont even know it. it's taken me until now to figure it out. i'm 30 years old and i just now realized i have been powerless most of my life.
that ends now. ok, before anyone in my family who may for some unknown reason actually reads this panics, i'm not saying i'm dropping out of school tomorrow.
but that's not to say i won't tell school to fuck off and go after what i want.
i have that power now. i got it back when i realized i didnt have it. that was the major step. gain control of your life. sure there is a lot of money invested in my education so far, but what have i really learned with that education?
100 times less than ive learned by leaving campus and meeting people and getting active in life. i dont give a damn what 2+2 equals. i care about passion.

PASSION.

perhaps my all-time favorite word. passion in life, love and relationships. have passion for what you do and do what you are passionate about. take the power back and live.

My Journey Has Begun.

2006-07-17T23:27:00.000-07:00

i've been doing alot of soul-searching lately. it's something i've never really done in the past. the standard deal, "who am i? what am i doing? am i truly happy?" that kinda thing. its amazing what begins to happen when you start to ask yourselves these questions for real and not in passing. things begin to reveal themselves when you truly listen to your heart.

an amazing thing happend to me tonight as i watched michael j. fox on inside the actor's studio (p.s. if you've never watched that show, i highly recommend.) after reliving michael's tv and movie career, the talk of course turned to parkinson's disease. he talked about many things, but one thing he said stuck with me, "I hate absolutes." it was a statement he made in passing, he was actually talking about his education growing up and how he hated math or something to that effect. but that statement hit me hard.

far too many people in this world live purely on black and white. THERE IS INDEED A GRAY AREA. you can tell yourself over and over that there isn't, but look deep, look back, think about things in the past you have done or seen done where you said, of course that happened because it had to. now think back on that same situation and realize there is another truth.

there is an amazing film that i was introduced to a few years ago through my uncle, who has become good friends with the film's maker, a man named Eric Saperston. the film is called The Journey. throughout his journey, Eric meets with the most powerful and influential people in the country. people like, Jimmy Carter, Ann Richards, Henry Winkler, Ken Kesey, Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Jerry Garcia, just to name a few.

i won't get into everything that was said, but the questions Eric posed to these people revolved around their advice to the younger generation on what success truly meant, among other things. now i have seen this film probably over 100 times. its inspiring, but tonight it hit me hard. harder than ever before.

those questions i had been asking myself had even greater meaning. i don't know where i'm headed, but as former Texas Gov. Ann Richards said in the film, "This person, this core of who you are and what your value system is, that's gonna be there no matter what. I'm only gonna be here on this earth a limited period of time and how am I gonna live it. That's all that really matters."

it's time to start living. peace and love to one and all.

check out the journey website and order a copy. i have given this film out as gifts to more people than i can remember and would give it to everyone i met if i could.
http://www.thejourneyfilm.com/index_flash.html

I'm BACK!!!

2006-07-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

ok ok, i'm sorry, it's been forever, but in my own defense, my computer crapped out on me for about 3 days. but, i'm back now and watch out. ok, maybe not, but i am back nonetheless.
well, in the three days i was without my computer, it became VERY apparent just how much time i spent on my computer, i was losing my mind. it didnt help much that monkeyshyne didnt have a show this weekend and in fact won't have a show until the 29th. TEMPLE HERE WE COME. GET READY!!!!!!!!!!
anyways, life is pretty good. i've been able to catch up with some dear old friends i havent seen in over 10 years thanks to the miracle of myspace. forget what the news says, we aren't all pervs on myspace. that website has been a wonderful tool for finding old and new friends. i'm sick of the overreaction and generalization by the media on things like this. it makes me want to rethink my plan of being a journalist.
oh well. i hope everyone is doing great and would love to hear from you all. check out my myspace if you wish. dont remember the link, just go to the monkeyshyne myspace page and you'll see me on there. its cliff of course.
peace love and duct tape one and all.

issues, humidity and a rockin show

2006-07-09T23:01:00.000-07:00

well, i never in my life thought i would have to go back to the houston area, yet that's where we headed on saturday for a show at G Spot. holy humidity batman. oh, speaking of batman, he got his shots in too, nailing sam houston in the nuts. not the first time he's done this. man that dude has issues.
anyways, after getting lost trying to find tomsballs, tx, we finally got to g spot. after the hell of a drive down there the guys brought down the house. it was a rockin show and the houstonites seemed to really enjoy it.
we got back to the house about 6:30 sunday morning in time enough to get some sleep then watch the world cup. holy crap zidane is a moron. nice headbutt though. that's all for now.
in the immortal words of red green, keep you stick on the ice.

a true bonding experience

2006-07-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

what a week!!!!

five monkeyshyne shows in seven days makes for fun, yet tiring times. not gonna go through all of it, except for the wichita falls show, in which i had a chance to do some bonding, female and otherwise.

ok, before the gay jokes begin (KEITH), the otherwise refers to the one and only Run-Run the Magic Bus. yes, Run-Run, that great American piece of.... machinery that provides monkeyshyne with the "safe" transportation to and from each gig.

well, for the first time since i began working for the band, back in March, i got to drive Run-Run, all the way home from WF. and let me tell you, that was an experience.

for starters, there is no radio. a band's van with NO TUNES. which normally is ok, cuz we are all talking, making fun of each other, handing out random gay jokes and whatever else. but, last night two members of the band, who shall remain nameless, passed out RATHER quickly for reasons i bet you can guess. another member didnt even come back with us and the fourth member had an early morning drive saturday so he went to sleep.

so there i was, a red bull, some copenhagen and a rockstar energy drink. hard to get to any of those, however, as every time you take a hand of the steering wheel the van starts moving all over the road. yeah, the steering is an issue as well, along with the brakes, the a/c and of course, the smell. haha.

but, having said all that, Run-Run and i have officially bonded and i have been told i am now, more than ever, officially a part of the band. so hear's to rock and roll and black and white sweet runnin' vans.

My So-Called Life

2006-06-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

after much internal debate on how to approach saturday night's unfortunate events, here's what i came up with, in a nutshell.

thought i had a great night ahead of me following the monkeyshyne gig at old town flying pig pub in lewisville, it ended with a girl pukng in the parking lot and me spending the night alone on someone's couch.

my life blows.

but, all is better now, a new week ahead with plenty of monkeyshyne to keep me occupied, including a Rock the Troops benefit show tuesday night at Sherlock's in Addison, followed by a chris and oz night of hilarity at Standard's and Pours in Dallas wednesday and finally a return to Iron Horse Pub in Wichita Falls friday night.

ok, let me explain the chris and oz event wednesday. as members of the Dallas Songwriter's Association, the guys will be giving a little talk for an hour then will play an acoustic duo for a little over an hour.

weekend thoughts

2006-06-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

first of all, let me begin by saying, NBA refs can kiss my a**. ok, now that i got that outta my system...

wound up being a full weekend. friday colin and i headed out to frisco to watch the roughriders play a little baseball. i hadnt been there yet and i gotta tell you, if you havent been to that ballpark yet then you are missing out. it is awesome.

saturday, well, i didnt wake up until about 3 in the afternoon, so that was pretty much a wash. but sunday turned out to be pretty great. colin invited me out to edgefest where we stuck around to see buckcherry, drowning pool, 30 seconds to mars and the greatness that is TOADIES. awesome to see those guys again after all these years, not to mention TONS of eye candy out in the 95 degree heat.

today, monday, i worked on monkeyshyne ideas. that has become my daily joy, coming up with marketing and merch ideas for the band. love it.

p.s. tomorrow i officially quit my job. WOOHOO!!

unemployment rocks!!!!!

2006-06-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

ok, so i've made the decision here recently that, well, to quote one of the great movies of all time, "i don't like my job and i don't think i'm gonna do it anymore," or something like that. so, after nearly 3 years or so of getting a measly $500+ a month, i am leaving my job.

don't get me wrong, it was a fun job. i had a blast, all i did was watch sports all day. but at some point i need to make some better money, even if it is at office depot or some crap like that.

anyways. i would appreciate any suggestions they loyal monkeyshyne peeps have. colin's already suggested male whore, so dont worry about that one, resume is already to a local pimp. finger's crossed. peace, i'm outta here.

Spank you VERY much

2006-06-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

As I sat watchin' the Mavs lay the wood to the heat, I couldn't help but think to myself, hey Rangers, are you watching? When are we gonna see something like this from you? Then reality kicked in and it occured to me that will never happen.

Colin, I am assuming you've watched the game by now on your Tivo. hope the concert was good, it was hard not to text you last night as the whoopin was taking place.

anyways, hope to see everyone in 2 weeks in temple and lewisville for the next monkeyshyne shows. peace to one and all.

clarification on my part

2006-06-06T22:04:00.001-07:00

ok, just to clear up a minor detail. i indeed was working during the game sunday. it was keith, oz and colin that were sitting in the stands with beer in hand enjoying the dancers and all. despite the fact that i was at time within inches of the dancers, as a professional i kept my eye on the field and the photography job at hand. for the most part.

glad to hear the van is in better shape. i feel safer already for the trip to tyler, which i will remind you i am taking because the desperados looked like monkey's f'ing a football on sunday. oh wait, a few puns in that one. peace to one and all.

Up and Down Weekend

2006-06-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

hola, cliff the road guy here. or chuck as the case may be. well, what a weekend this turned out to be. friday was great as always because i got to chill with my boys monkeyshyne (although the sparce denton crowd kinda blew) BUT, the denton crowd that did make it to the show was awesome. great to see some familiar faces again and great to meet some of the wichita falls crew. can't wait to get up there and do some drinking with all you sexy ladies.

saturday, well, kinda sucked. waiting allllllll damn day for that mavs game, but nothing could have ended that day better then the MAVS BABY!!!!!!!!!!!! bring on miami.

sunday, again, sucked and rocked all at once. started with me at valley ranch doing some shooting for dallascowboys.com, got to finally see t.o. in person. he may be an ass, but he is an unreal physical specimen.
then on to the AAC for what i thought was the prelude to my trip to vegas for ArenaBowl XX. apparently someone forgot to mention to the desperados how much i wanted to go to vegas. brutal. but again all was awesome because keith, colin and oz made their way to the game as did my best bud bryan. so who cares about the game really. the only thing that sucked is chris, amy and trish couldnt be at the game. that would have rounded things out nicely.

and since i wont be headed to vegas, i will be making my first trip to tyler with monkeyshyne, so again, life is good. no worries.

Uh, where's the love?

2006-06-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

I'm sensing a pattern in the past 2 Monkeyshyne shows. I can't quite put my finger on it. Any ideas?

It's a confusing life

2006-05-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

It's funny, I was at Panda Express a few weeks ago and i got a fortune cookie which told me someone from my past would be coming back into my life (or something to that effect). What that thing failed to mention is about 3 people from my past would be coming back into my life.
Stupid fortune cookie. Why can't those things be more specific. Screw it. All I need is a night out with the Monkeyshyne boys, which will happen this Friday night at the Garage in Denton. Come out one and all and have a few drinks, a few laughs and some bad ass music.
Peace and happiness all. GO MAVS!!!!!!!!!

MAVS BABY!!!!!!!

2006-05-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

If you aren't loving this then you aren't paying attention.

GO MAVS!!!

My hatred knows no bounds

2006-05-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

The bitterness I am feeling right now is so great I may not make it through the week. It has come to my attention that the person who took over for me when I stopped writing for the Dallas Cowboys website is currently in Mexico (Nuevo Vallarta?) covering the 2006 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Calender shoot.
My desire to bring harm to people has increased tenfold. People questioned me when I stopped working for the website, I questioned myself at times, but it was the right thing. Besides, I'm back with the website now doing photography, but apparently not enough to warrant a trip to Mexico with bikini clad Cowboys cheerleaders. I hate myself right now.
Comfort me ladies, PLEASE!!!

Welcome my friends to the show that never ends

2006-05-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

I figured it was time for me to get on the blogging routine. I read enough of the monkeyshyne blogs to realize I needed to get into the swing of things. I have plenty of thoughts on things, but if you wanna talk politics, go somewhere else. can't stand the crap. Sports, music, art, whatever, that's all good to go. bring it on. anyways. This is Cliff saying welcome.