An Open Letter To Governer Ed Rendell

Dear Governer Rendell:

Fuck you.

Furthermore, fuck you.

I am a smoker. It was my choice. In this country, we have the FREEDOM to CHOOSE, even to kill ourselves with this nasty fucking habit.

For taking away my freedom to smoke where the fuck I want, when the fuck I want, all I have to say is the following:

1. Fuck you.
2. Fuck your ideals.
3. I hope you fucking DIAF.
4. If you don't know what DIAF means, try ACTUALLY CONNECTING WITH THE PEOPLE YOU SUPPOSEDLY GOVERN SO WELL.

It is in your best interest to not show up at the next Bud George Picnic. If you do, you run the risk of becoming my personal ashtray.

Fuck you.

With no sincerity whatsoever,

Eric Jacobson, Smoker, and one of the 12 million people who pays your fucking salary, over half of which are likely what? Smokers.

Douchebag of the Year

Yes, I know, it's not December, so I really shouldn't be proclaiming a DotY just yet. But in this case, I think I'll make a special exception. This kid look familiar? Those shifty eyes, that grin that says "I'm actually bullshitting you, but you don't know it yet," the overly-large forehead...

Yep, it's none other than Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Turns out that he was recently dismissed from the Duke (Sucks) University Golf Team for... are you sitting down?... Throwing an apple at another player's face, breaking a golf club during a tournament, injuring a teammate and verbally abusing the coach.

1+1=Douchebag.

Now, it's not like we didn't know this was coming. Remember back when the so-called "America's Mayor" was stumping on TV, and lil' Andy was sitting behind him being a little douchebag? In case you forgot, here's some stills to refresh your memory:

Nope, couldn't see this one coming, no sir...

So here's to you, Andrew Giuliani, the recipient of The Lost Prophyt Blog's Douchebag of the Year award. You can pick up your Horse's Ass trophy and your Super Anchovie Pizza in the dumpster outside of city hall, dicksplash...

First Look

Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the new Buck-It:

Clockwise from Front: Dave Read (Drums), Bob Haight(Guitars/Vocals), Eric Jacobson (Vocals) and Andy Howard (Bass/Vocals).

Buck-It will be part of Aaron's Rock Concert for The March Of Dimes, along with Dressed To Kill, Ozone Rangers and Rukkus, Sunday September 21st, 2008 @ Electric Avenue in Houtzdale, PA, beginning at 6pm. We go on first, but I'm not entirely sure of the exact order beyond our set.

Edit Bonus: Here's a cameraphone shot of me. Mostly, this is to replace my Blogger Profile Image with something a little less three years ago...


I really should mirror that...

What Go Around Come Around

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, the ultimate binding law of this country, states that no man/ or woman may be denied the right to say what s/he wants, when s/he wants, for any reason. While this does have its faults (such as the "White Power" morons and the Far Right's anti-gay rhetoric), it's still the rules. I didn't write them, but I'll be god damned if I'm not going to follow them to the letter.

Your logic is flawed. It has no merit or basis in reality. The way you're going about this is wrong. How you can actually do this is beyond me, but you're doing it, and you're failing miserably at it.

While I lack faith in any sort of organized or scripted religion, I am a very firm believer in Karma. Obviously, I'm being wronged. This WILL come around and bite you in the ass for it. And the best part? All I have to do is sit back and watch. I don't have to lift a finger to help it along.

Now, I do believe that this complies with your restrictions. I suggest we try to find a middle ground before this gets out of control. There's no need to go to such extremes when this situation has a simple solution - one that might not be what you want it to be, but it will achieve the end yiou desire.

All Around The World

Yes, I know. I start alot of posts with that, it seems. But here's the condensed version: It sucked, sorry.

Lately, I keep hearing people talking about me. And it's not in the usual negative manner, either. No, this time, they're actually speaking well of me, which is a refreshing change of pace. But the whole reason they're talking about me is kinda unnerving, and I hope this post explains why.

"You got robbed," I heard from one kid at random while I was at Sheetz.

"What?!?" I didn't know him at all, and for him to say that to me off the cuff startled me a bit.

"The karaoke contest!"

"Oh, yeah..." I was trying to figure out how this kid, who certainly didn't look old enough to drink, would even remotely know that I was involved in it.

"Dude, I work up there. Almost everyone up there says that it should have been you."

"Yeah, I've been hearing that alot lately..."

After me saying "thanks" a few times, the conversation ended. It's a conversation I've repeated alot in the last few weeks, too. Other contestants, their families, a few other folks who were there; they all think it should have been me to go on to New York with Mike Willz. And to be perfectly honest, Mike and I talked about it, and we both thought it was one person until that night. When we found out it was two, we both sighed in relief, knowing that the likelyhood was that he and I would be going.

And there's the thing: I talked to Mike. I got to know him a bit. We've even talked about co-hosting a show at the Rowland sometime in the future. Point is, we became friends. And it's like that with alot of musicians in our area. We're all friends, or we all have mutual friends. We do shows together.

Contests like that, while fun, are ultimately, for the poorer among us, just quick cash and prizes for our talents. Most area musicians don't even do them (some see it as the bar leagues to their local 'big leagues', itself the bar circuit). Me? Well, working at the Avenue running a karaoke show has made it more or less part of my entertainment job as a whole, so to me, it's just another night at the office.

But my office is a stage. Rock on!

The competition angle isn't what we're really in it for. We all win, place, or show, but it's always someone different among us. That night, it was Autumn and Mike, not me. I've cashed out a couple of times before, and won quite a few fun ones, so it's no big deal. Wasn't a cash prize involved unless you made the nationals, anyway, and then the competition is just too tight to make it worth it.

I've known Autumn forever. Her whole family is musical, so it's no surprise. Her mom and aunt are themselves wonderful singers, her dad an accomplished sound engineer (and probably musician as well) in his own right, so the genes are there for her talent. Mike, I'd just met some weeks before when I qualified, but he's certainly a highly talented guy, definitely in the upper echelon of our own karaoke circuit. To talk to, he's a very easy going guy, someone I'd certainly hang out with.

To us, it's not about who got robbed, or what judges, who'd never judged a karaoke contest before in their lives, don't know their ass from a hole in the ground. We had fun doing it, and entertained a whole shitload of people in the process. That's what we're really in it for in the end: we do what we do to entertain people, to make them smile and have fun.


Besides: I got the Buck-It gig. Sounds like it's chock-full-o'-WIN to me, not to mention the steady paydays to come from it. Screw $2000 for a national prize. I'll have that in a few weeks with these guys, and then lather, rinse, repeat...

Off The Grid

Hey all. Sorry I haven't posted much this month, but my Internet's been out. The Mrs. and I are talking about moving, too, so that might delay me a bit more. Just know that I haven't given up on blogging, and it's not for a lack of things to say: Believe me, I still have plenty to shoot my mouth off about.

And to the anonymous commenter who tried to chew me out for talking about the Dr. Adams fiasco: Fuck you. Grow a pair and identify yourself. At least I have the brass set to put my name on what I say...

o lrd...

Found on Fark, the headline is enough. It seems the Pope is going to start sending prayers to the "faithful" (read: weak-minded) via text message:

god n hvn: u r kool. we want kool & 4 earth 2b like hvn. giv us food 2day & 4giv r sinz like we 4giv sinz. lol save r souls, cuz we kno u r tight, u r strong & u r kool 4evs. werd

Whoever submitted this wins a trophy and a pizza. That is some funny shit right there...

A Vapor Trail In The Empty Air

How about them Pittsburgh Penguins, eh? EH?!? Fuckin' right! Pretty good for a bunch of flightless birds! Ottowa swept under the rug in 4. The Rangers, gone in 5, and a playoff series win in Melon Arena for the first time in a long time.

Pittsburgh is Hockey crazy right now. And having been (and always will be) a Pittsburgher, I'm along for the ride and loving it. When the Pens won the Cup in the early 90s, I was just coming into my teenage years. While I lived in Pittsburgh, it was a different story. The Pens were on the outs, and Mario was just stepping up to save the franchise for a second time. And now, 8 years after my departure from the city that I love, the Penguins are once again flying high.

This time, though, if they go all the way, I plan on being right in the middle of it all, just like I was for Super Bowl XL. If only the Pens and Steelers could inspire my haphazard Buccos to at least playoff contention... Eh, can't dream TOO much at one time...

Pittsburgh is a championship town.* Always has been, always will be. Hopefully, Crosby and Crew can bring Lord Stanley's Cup back to the town that's salivating for it. It's not just Crosby's show: The Penguins have assembled one of the greatest supporting casts in NHL history - four lines, all of which can score the big goals, with only two players going without a point in nine games so far this post-season. And each and every one of these lines has displayed some incredible hustle when it comes to defense, back checking like crazy to kill rushes before they have a chance to get going.

Which says nothing for the incredible defense on the ice as well. Anchored by Sergei Gonchar, the rear guard has finally come back to the days when the Sammulssons (no relation) roamed the Igloo ice. And let's not forget The Flower. Marc-Andre was described by one fan as not being just a Flower, but Ivy: He's all over the goal mouth. With two shutouts and plenty of highlight reel-worthy saves in the first two series, not to mention being the heart of what became seven straight playoff wins... It's hard to find anything negative about him.

The board is set, the pieces are moving, and the Eastern Conference Finals are going to be a Pennsylvanian affair. No jet lag, no real need for a hotel for more than one night. The Penguins and the Flyers. South West PA Vs. South East PA. The Hot Corners Series. The City of Steel and Three Rivers takes on The City of Brotherly Love and Independence.

Oh yeah, it's gonna be a fuckin' war. My call? Well, Ottowa in 4, New York in 5, why not Penguins over the Flyers in 6? Then we can bring the hurt to Lord Stanley's Party and take it the full 7 games.

*At this point, I had researched and written four more paragraphs, but got sidetracked and decided to delete them all. Oh well, right? Right. Sometimes, the stuff I type doesn't turn out so hot...

Scramble Rogue Squadron

They're here! Finally, after years of waiting, my boys have arrived!

On the left there is Dakk, and on the right with his nose to the vacuum power cord, that's Wedge. And yes, they're named after characters from Star Wars. I'm a nerd. Surprised?

Here are my boys, exploring their new Rebel Base. Apparently, the mattress is good for practicing ambush attacks. Dakk tries to sneak up on Wedge, who is more interested in the bean bag...

And finally, after a rough day being kittens moved to a new home, my boys cuddle up in the corner near their new dad's computer desk and pass out.

And now, some facts: Wedge and Dakk are both 4 weeks old, and are brothers. You can identify them thusly: Dakk, on the left in the snooze pic, doesn't have the pronounced "spire" of white fur that Wedge (on the right) has running up his forehead. Wedge is the daredevil, having already tried to climb the baby gate we use to keep Teddy out of the kitchen. In contrast, Dakk has been the docile one, and prefers sitting on my lap to causing chaos. This should be fun!

And now, time to LOLCat Caption the boys for the first time!

Welcome to the Prophyt Family, Wedge and Dakk!

Boldly Go

Weekend Story, Short Version:

3rd place in the Karaoke contest. Bummer, but oh well. I got what I wanted out of it: I got the gig with Buck-It, and am now their new lead singer. AWESOME! I speak more in my first Vlog (video blog), posted just this morning in glorious widescreen!

Rock on! I PROMISE that video from this past weekend will be on the 'Tube today.

In The Valley Of Song

Sad news.

My friend's aunt has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Although I never really got to spend much time with her, I still came to know Nancy as a wonderful, wonderful woman. Much like the rest of her family, she's warm, kind, and loving, but not above a dirty joke or three, either.

Whatever it is you do when those you love are in pain, please do so for Nancy. Chances are I won't get to see her again before she passes on, and the very least I can do is get on my soapbox and try to show her as much love as she's shown everyone, not just me.

We love you, Nancy. Thanks for being who you are, no matter what happens.

All The Away

So, the finals are tomorrow night. Am I nervous? Not really. I don't really get nervous until the battle is over and we're all waiting for the final scores to come in.

For the finals, we're going to be doing two songs as opposed to one, which is the format I'm used to anyway. Doing just one song puts the brakes on showing off any sort of dynamic range with regard to genres and styles, and you've really got to try your damnedest to limit your fuck-ups. There's no second song to carry the first if you can nail it.

I've decided on one of the songs (which I won't mention here, just in case the competition is reading, which I highly doubt) that I'm going to sing, and I have a few choices for the other one. I might not make that decision until it's actually time to sing it. I've already done Luck Be a Lady and Bohemian Rhapsody in competition, and performed Silent Lucidity, Piano Man, and Faithfully as open Karaoke songs, so I've really got to pull out something huge for song #2.

I do have a few reservations, though, about this contest; thoughts that I can't help but think. I'm mentioning them without getting specific now, mostly because I want a record of having said something about it before tomorrow night.

Later today, I'll have the video from last week's Semi-Finals up on the YouTube Channel, as well as some Electric Avenue Karaoke from last Thursday. Right now, though, I'm processing video for the second of two DVDs (the first of which successfully finished last night) for Justin. His cousins Kelsey and Denise recently visited the US from Wales, and they made quite a bit of video while they were here. Of course, it's the design geek's job to author the DVD, but this time, it's going rather well.

Not like the first few tries, of which only one was successful...

I know, I've been quiet, especially with Hillary "Ice Queen" Clinton 'winning' (and I use that term loosely) yesterday's Democratic Primary. I can't really grouse much, since I'm a registered Independent and therefore can't vote in a Democrats-only primary. But as we get closer to the Democratic National Convention, you can bet I'll be speaking up more and more on that subject.

But for now, it's back to pushing pixels. The joys of our career choices...

Clarity and Colmes

Sean Hannity is a Republican douchebag schill. No bones about it. He's a dicksplash. But by golly, even GOP pundits can have moments of lucidity and insight. Here's video (FT) of him blowing a gasket... Wait for it... Defending Barack Obama. Yeah! Sean Hannity! SEAN FUCKING HANNITY! DEFENDING OBAMA! It has to be seen to be believed; even I didn't think it was true until I watched it. But here it is:

Sean, if you had more moments like this, maybe I could stomach you easier. Think on that...

Astral Plane I've Traveled Through

Well, the results are in, and I managed to qualify for the finals last night. So far, Frank Sinatra and Queen have done me right (and I hope I've done right by them as well), and now I have to pick two songs for the Finals. Later on today, I'll have some video of the last night's contestants for all of you to watch, including my performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Yeah, I went there, big whoop! Wanna fight about it?

But that wasn't the highlight of the evening, no. "How," you ask, "could qualifying for the regional finals of an (supposedly) international Karaoke contest not be the highlight of your evening?" The highlight, as it turns out, began earlier in the day when I discovered that local rock heroes Buck-It were looking for a new lead singer. Bonus! So of course, I sent them a message, along with links to some of my work online (mostly my YouTube Channel, where anyone can find me singing and goofing off) and an invite to come check me out at last night's contest.

TJ, the bass player, replied, and came to hang out with us at the contest last night. The end result? I have an audition tomorrow at 12:30, and it's gonna be teh hawesome. We're gonna rock some songs from Coal Chamber, Seven Mary Three, Drowning Pool, Pantera, Rage Against the Machine, Alice in Chains, and more. I'm pretty sure I impressed the hell out of TJ last night, and I can't wait to carry that over to Dave and Bob as well. My guess is, TJ had quite a few good things to say, because their MySpace message to me this morning sounded incredibly positive! ROCK!

So, last night was a good one. Tonight, I'll be running a special Saturday Karaoke session at Electric Avenue, so if you're local, come on down and hang out! Of course it'll be a good time, because let's face it: good times are just how I roll...

Take Me Across The Sky

Fun time tonight. Semifinals. Going to break out some Queen, rock the house. Should be fun. Will post more later, possibly with video, depending on the Old Man. Anyway, time to jet. Almost time to ROCK AND ROLL!!!