Happy birthday, dear Critter.  Ain't no snafu.

Time Enough To Cry

If some day, when I am dead and buried

You forget and smile instead of sigh-

                                                      ing sadly

Don’t feel badly, please do not be worried

There is always time enough to cry

If you find that veils look silly

Or you don’t have time to buy
                                            some black clothes

Save the roses, do not bring my lilies

There is always time enough to cry

Some may scold

If they hear you sing

You’ll be told

You should bring

                           some flowers

There's no rush to come and say goodbye

There is always time enough to cry

                                                                                                   

What's so funny

I was lucky to be in London for work this evening. Great house band, including Roxy/Bryan Ferry stalwarts Mel Collins and Neil Hubbard. Wish you were there.

I got to see both Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser within the last two weeks.  In addition to a couple of hot songs of his own, Mr. Kaiser did "Alice in Blunderland" with the Beefheart tribute band I used to play with.  His band included a drummer whose name I hadn't heard before, but whom I'd heard before, on records at least, William Winant.  It's nice to live near Mills College!

Time to bring back the Exploding Meat Puppet, James?

Happy birthday Jymn!  Nothing can stand in your way when you're a boy!

Aladdin James

Saturday night was the year-end office party. Theme: Glam Rock. I was one of two guys of about 400 who had actually been alive for that phenomenon. As I had recently a chance to visit the fantastic "David Bowie Is" exhibition when visiting Jai in Chicago, I was well prepared. If you haven't seen it recently check out the "Boys Keep Swinging" video. I forgot how hilarious it is.

Why We Fight II

Uniformed men line the streets, armed for our protection
To guard us from those criminals who have the wrong complexion
When things go wrong they know that they’ll be let off by the jury
And this is in the USA, in Ferguson Missouri

So this is why we fight, brothers
This is why we fight
Now's not the time to stop and rest
For this is why we fight

I'm not sure how long these will stay up:

New Bryan Ferry

New Robert Wyatt anthology

Why We Fight

A first draft of an Election Day song....


Some will fall in glory, and others fall in shame
Still others give up because both sides seem the same
Some fear humiliation, some direct attack
But sometimes when we’re broken, new roots grow through the crack

And this is why we fight, brothers
This is why we fight
Though sometimes we must stop and rest
This is why we fight

Happy happy birthday baby

Many happy returns of the day, Tracette, and my best to Tim the Horse!

Jack of Diamonds

A re-write of "Rye Whiskey", more or less:


Jack of Diamonds, he said go ahead boy and spin it
Jack of Diamonds, he said if you want it you’ll win it
His two one-eyed brothers are sleeping or dead
The king offed himself with a sword through the head
Everything can change in the tiniest minute
Oh, Jack of Diamonds

Jack of Diamonds calls the Queen out to bring you good luck
And when she appears you will know you’ve been struck
Before you can see it you’ll be hit by the flash
That opens the future and wipes out the past
Your one chance at freedom mows you down like a truck
Oh, Jack of Diamonds

Jack of Diamonds says pull it, there’s no time to wait
What looked like mere chance will be turned into fate
He says now’s the moment but you’ll have to jump
There’s only one card left but he’ll make it the trump
Oh why did I listen, it’s already too late
Oh, Jack of Diamonds

The modern world's not so bad...

Greetings from Singapore. I've taken up a job here as MD of Citco Fund Services. Still keeping a place in Mumbai and Bangalore. Will be traveling to the US a bit more regularly in the next year. Where shall we meet? Email me at tiojymn@gmail.com. Cheers!

Waving Goodbye

You just love the one who leaves you
You just love to watch men go
You love waving from the window
Humming the saddest songs you know

At the airport or bus station
The only time that we embrace
Is when you watch me going
A brave look on your face

Don’t want to travel
I’d rather stay
You only see me
When you see me slip away

You watch me pack my suitcase
So happy that you get to cry
You always love the one who leaves you
You just love to wave goodbye

Happy birthday,  Poppa.  I'll let my train be my feet if it's too far to walk to you.

Sorry to hear about Jim Rockford, Jim.  He had a good run.

The Overnight Journey From the Last Darkness To This One (by River)

Lie, let the darkness come
Let yourself float down the river
Down its sweet, dark stream
Rest, let go of the day
Don't be afraid of night
Dream the hardest dream

You can’t take flowers with you
Just one smooth small stone
Ravens and owls will watch you
You’re not alone

See, the sun starts to dissolve
Goes out like a spark
But stars can only shine 
When the sky’s grown dark

Lie, hear the river’s song
Words that cannot be spoken
Words that melt in light
Drift into the night
Dream the hardest dream

RIP Tommy Ramone
Now there were none

I've been reading Richard Hell's memoir, I Dreamed I Was A Very Clean Tramp. He's sort of a dope, of course, but this observation had a certain resonance with the Brothers Twain: "Of course what's deepest down inside is boring; it's actually the surface that's interesting, even though it's often deceptive.  We're probably all the same as each other deep down inside."