I hate bloggers who blog regularly, giving me the benefit of their wisdom and insight on a steady basis, and then suddenly disappear for a few weeks, writing one last "farewell" post where they muse that no one was reading their stuff anyhow (do I not count?), vowing never to return again. Then I check my bookmark for their site again three weeks later and there they are again, having decided not to end it all after all.

And we become what we mock! I've been out for awhile, haven't I? For a year there, maybe more, I kept a thrice-weekly schedule just as though I was writing a real newspaper column, only not as funny, informative or interesting. Then there were events here that had me thinking blogging was far too petty and foolish of an endeavor, and I should spend more time doing somber, adult things. I'm recuperating, though, so now, just when you were about to delete my bookmark (have you noticed it looks like a beer mug? Pretty crafty, huh?) here I am again to tell you about...

My CD Collection

Yep, I've bought some more CD's. Let's see what I have.

• Blue Oyster Cult, "Workshop of the Telescopes": This is a two-disc Blue Oyster Cult best-of that skims the cream of their albums. As mentioned in previous posts I happened to catch Buck Dharma, the man who wrote and sang "Don't Fear the Reaper," at a wings place with local guitar hero Barry Richaman a year or two ago. Plus my cousin Tim, who is largely responsible for my fanaticism about music, was a big BOC fan, too. I've only listened to a couple of tracks on this as I was cleaning out a closet but I look forward to a deeper listen. "Go, go, Godzilla!"

• James Brown, "The CD of JB (I & II)": Many years ago a college cohort told me I HAD to check out "The CD of JB" from James Brown. By the time I got around to shopping for it it was no longer in print and another package had replaced it. I came across "The CD of JB" at the used CD store and stalked it awhile, and then today a "CD of JB II" showed up. I got both for $10! I already had a lot of this stuff on the other compilation but this also has "I'm Black and I'm Proud," "Soul Power" and "Hot Pants," which I don't think are on that other one.

• The Smiths, "Meat is Murder": I don't know whatever possessed me to get into the Smiths but man, am I glad I did! (I think it was because I found the Red House Painters who were described as an American Smiths.) Today I bought a legitimate hard copy of "Meat is Murder," which has some really nice tunes and, more importantly, some of Morrissey's interesting lyrics. Sometimes I don't know what a lyric pertains to (haven't looked `em up), I just enjoy a line and how they go with the gestalt of the music. Right now I'm hearing, "I've seen this happen in other people's lives/and now it's happening in mine." I don't know what that's about, but I like it. "I'm only human and I need to be loved/just like anybody else does...I'm the son and the heir/of a shyness that is criminally vulgar." I relate. "When I'm lying in bed/I think about life and I think about death/and neither one particularly appeals to me." Good stuff.

• The Cult, "Electric": I downloaded this one illegally off the Internet, but thank goodness before the RIAA could send the FBI to fine me $80,000 I found a copy of it for $5.99 at the used CD store. This one also proves that just because an album fails to impress as a MP3 doesn't mean you won't end up buying it anyhow. I have nostalgia for this one because the mighty Zen used to cover "Wildflower" off of this one. Maybe it'll get better with more listening.

There you go. Could that possibly have been more interesting? Aren't you glad I returned to give you that? Wow. I'm thinking about doing another one with the few money-saving tips I know. Seriously.