Southpaw Jones

CRUELTY is now available!
Order the CD now at southpawjones.com.
Purchase MP3s at cdbaby.com or .
Grab a copy in real time at Waterloo Records or End of an Ear in Austin.
Or buy one from me any Thursday at Flipnotics @ the Triangle.

It was a Friday afternoon, and I had had a productive week, so I decided to celebrate by purchasing two DVDs: Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Season 1 and ¡Three Amigos!

I went to Best Buy. It’s not my favorite place in the world now that I’m not fourteen anymore, but it still has a bright yellow and blue charm to it when I’m in a consumerist mood.

They had what I was after, so I paid and walked out, but the theft alarm went off as I passed it. No one seemed to care. I had my receipt, so I wasn’t worried about it. I just started walking slower so no one would think I was trying to escape. I did not need a tackle-fest and a skinned knee to mess up my weekend.

It was about this time I heard, “Excuse me, sir, kind of a weird question…”

I turned around to see a young well-dressed man in a four-door car with two other people. They didn’t say anything or look my way.

“Kind of a weird question…what do you do?”

It isn’t a weird question necessarily. It’s actually weird timing, because people always ask that question eventually, just not first.

My giant ego kicked in immediately, and I thought, “This guy has seen me perform at some point, and he recognizes my fine self.”

Of course that wasn’t it.

I said, “Well, I work in the financial sector during the day, and I play guitar at night.”

He was not interested in my guitar skills.

“Financial sector? Like what do you mean? What company?”

I tried to describe my drool-inducing day job to him.

Finally, he got to his point.

“Well, I am a real estate investor. Are you happy with your situation?”

I gave him an answer that was both true and effective in convincing him to leave me alone.

“Yes, actually, I’m quite content.”

“Content…”

He considered it as if he’d never heard the word before.

“Alright, sorry to bother you,” he said, as he drove off with what I now assume to be two previous parking lot victims.

It was an odd encounter. I wonder what might have happened if I had said I was unhappy?

Perhaps he would have given me a crazy oversized check for one million dollars.

More likely he would have swindled me out of my life savings and spit in my eye.

But the nice thing about that moment is that I wasn’t lying.

I really am quite content, enjoying my day to day, the things I’m building, the people and the town that inspire me.

It’s easy to forget until someone asks you point blank in a big box parking lot.

Quite content, this one.

as reported in The New York Times

August 25, 1908
BULL CHARGES ON TRAIN.
Once Repulsed, He Comes Back for More and Is Killed.
KINGSTON, N.Y. — When an express train on the Ulster Delaware Railroad last night approached a giant bull standing on the tracks, the bull lowered his shaggy head and charged.

One clue whose answer consists of two rhyming words:

He selected lukewarm as the condition of his popsicle, when he clearly should have…

Highlight here for answer: [chosen frozen]


The Most Curious Graves and Tombstones

A creator needs only one enthusiast to justify him.
Man Ray

EVERY DANG THURSDAY
8:00 PM
Flipnotics at the Triangle
4600 Guadalupe
AUSTIN, TX
(512) 380-0097
www.flipnotics.com
________________________________________________________________

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2008
Matt the Electrician & Southpaw Jones
8:00 pm
Wyldwood House Concert
4205 Wyldwood Road
AUSTIN, TX
wyldwood.startlogic.com
________________________________________________________________

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2008
Celebrating the lyrics of CRUELTY!
BookPeople
603 N. Lamar
AUSTIN, TX
(512) 472-5050
www.bookpeople.com