Polka Time with Ed Targonski

The communities of South Hadley, Easthampton, and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, among others, have apparently enjoyed for years the musical stylings of regional Polka King* Ed Targonski. During a recent road-trip, the band and I were entranced by public access TV airings of these shows, culled together from Targonski's apparently vast archives of polka-party footage from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Ed and his entire family took turns hosting these broadcasts, which mostly cover the Western Massachusetts area, focusing on Pulaski Park, the epicenter of all things Western Mass. Polka (apparently). Ed, who must be in his eighties at this point, thoughtfully replied to Clint's request for materials, which was hastily handwritten on hotel stationery, with a parcel post chockablock full of DVDs and a typewritten letter. I can't wait to read what Ed had to say to his newest bespectacled fan.

Had I the capability, I would write a song about Ed. I can't do it without sounding hokey and ironic.

*I say "regional" because the international title clearly belongs to Jimmy Sturr and his orchestra. Look, Mom! More Grammys than Britney!

Thanksgiving Highlights

perfunctorily
Originally uploaded by cubanista411

-- Took on significant water in a pontoon boat on the Intercoastal Waterway.
-- Ate pulled pork smoked in Don Henley's barbecue. (Yup, that one.)
-- Saw this, back in Cambridge.
Perfunctorily? It means this.

For the Love of Wasiu

There's still hope.

Pop Magic

Coming soon to an iTunes near you...

They asked me if I'd go out to the laser show
Heard about it on the radio
Now here we are in steaming summer

Lasers can shape your corneal contour
But they can't make poor Emerson Lake and Palmer better

Is something wrong when I'm not put off by this?
The stars shine onto Petty Floyd and Kiss

Cause I've got an awkward smile
Just right for nights like this

Plastic cups and pent up discontent
I try not to forget just where my keys and I.D. are
The beams bend and curve, all of the strains are heard
Familiar refrains emerge from "Urgent" into "Drive My Car"

Shouts of irony turned serious
We have been severed from our moorings
What we shared has been made clear to us
Out of the night into the morning

The lights come on, people move along
It's just us and these old songs here in FM ecstasy
Lasers are useful for tattoo removal
But to be truthful, you can't improve on nights like these

Amusing MySpaces (from my er... Extended Network)

The God Damn Doo Wop Band.

Are You Suggesting I Fondue Your Vagina?

She Touched It

Musings.

I sit near a bona fide secretary at work. Old skool. I love it.

Will all the climbers on this season's "Everest: Beyond the Limit" make it down the mountain? What motivates these mf's, anyway?

It's business time.

My parents are getting older. So am I.

I love the interwebs. My friend is dating someone she met through a social networking site for Ag students. It's the cutest thing ever.

Found some great van porn in South Hadley MA over the long weekend.

Brad's band played in Northampton at the PopFest. It was great fun. We tore that shit up.

OJ is F'd

So this guy's testifying that OJ told him to "bring some heat." Hoo boy. This sure doesn't sound good for our star running back, does it?!

Honoring and Letting Go

Things have been really tough at work lately, so I decided to make (yet another) change. My friend Bill has been working with me on the honoring lessons/letting go thing. It's been hugely beneficial, but I'm still pretty angry and sad about what happened to me. Trying to just breathe in, breathe out.

Guitar Hero 3

Brad's Guitar Hero 3 name is Lars Umlaut. His band is the Dumslutz. At the moment he is wailing away at Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me." The legitimate Boston pop scene would be horrified. Don't tell anybody.