Due to an illness in the band, I have some days off. The tour has cancelled four shows (this whole week) and will start up again Thursday, October 5th. The plan is to reschedule the four shows at the end of the tour.

Here are the three cities that I won’t be posting random facts about, although I am still welcome to comments about these cities.

Nashville, Tennessee

Duluth, Georgia

Greenville, South Carolina

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Because this account of daily life in Baghdad reveals where the writer lives, his name is not being used to protect his safety. He is a 54-year-old Iraqi reporter in The Times’ Baghdad Bureau.

BAGHDAD — On a recent Sunday, I was buying groceries in my beloved Amariya neighborhood in western Baghdad when I heard the sound of an AK-47 for about three seconds. It was close but not very close, so I continued shopping.

As I took a right turn on Munadhama Street, I saw a man lying on the ground in a small pool of blood. He wasn’t dead.

The idea of stopping to help or to take him to a hospital crossed my mind, but I didn’t dare. Cars passed without stopping. Pedestrians and shop owners kept doing what they were doing, pretending nothing had happened.

I was still looking at the wounded man and blaming myself for not stopping to help. Other shoppers peered at him from a distance, sorrowful and compassionate, but did nothing.

I went on to another grocery store, staying for about five minutes while shopping for tomatoes, onions and other vegetables. During that time, the man managed to sit up and wave to passing cars. No one stopped. Then, a white Volkswagen pulled up. A passenger stepped out with a gun, walked steadily to the wounded man and shot him three times. The car took off down a side road and vanished.

No one did anything. No one lifted a finger. The only reaction came from a woman in the grocery store. In a low voice, she said, “My God, bless his soul.”

I went home and didn’t dare tell my wife. I did not want to frighten her.

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Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Since first publishing A Time to Kill in 1988, Grisham has written one novel a year (his other books are The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, The Partner, The Street Lawyer, The Testament, The Brethren, A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, The Summons, The King of Torts, Bleachers, The Last Juror, and The Broker) and all of them have become international bestsellers. There are currently over 225 million John Grisham books in print worldwide, which have been translated into 29 languages. Nine of his novels have been turned into films (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Chamber, A Painted House, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas), as was an original screenplay, The Gingerbread Man. The Innocent Man (October 2006) marks his first foray into non-fiction.

The show in Southaven tonight has been cancelled, but I thought I would stay on pace, and still come up with something interesting about the city. So instead of on the bus or at a stadium, I am on my couch with my kids. Tomorrow is Nashville.

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Death Cab For Cutie - Brothers On A Hotel Bed
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7euMj2ZK5g]

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Make Yours.
(HT CW)

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I don’t really know what to think, but today I found this.

I don’t really know where to stand on this stuff, but there have been several times throughout history where it seems that the government has “covered up” something. My problem is the fact that I don’t entirely trust the government, and I don’t believe the “conspiracy theorists”. Where do you stand? What is your take on that video?

Here is something else I found today.

“If you live in the United States, you might be surprised at just how many people around the world believe that the CIA was behind September 11. Although the usual suspects (David Icke and the like) began concocting the usual fairy tales within hours of the event, the global conspiracy machine has really kicked into overdrive since.
The CIA theory is most popular in France. Within a month of the September 11 attack, French author Thierry Meyssan began promulgating a theory that culminated in the book titled L’Effroyable imposture, or the which roughly translates as “Appalling Fraud.” It was called 9/11: The Big Lie in its American edition.

Meyssan, who is not a journalist no matter how hard he tries, was drawn to the case when he noticed that the images of the jet that crashed into the Pentagon just didn’t look right. It’s unclear how he reached this conclusion, since a jet had never crashed into the Pentagon before, leaving no comparative basis for a proper evaluation. His theory was based primarily on the fact that you couldn’t see the wreckage of the plane anywhere.”

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Aj82owtsYk]

There has only been one thing I have been able to find even remotely interesting about Bossier City, LA. Even after finding something, it was more difficult to find something worth posting about. Well, here it is ladies and gentlemen. Jared Leto was born in Bossier City, LA.

This video was the only thing I could find interesting enough to post involving Jared Leto, and thats probably because it doesn’t really have anything to do with him.

Jared Leto (born December 26, 1971) is an American actor and musician. His first major acting performance was as Jordan Catalano in the television series My So-Called Life. This led to a growing film career, including a critically-acclaimed portrayal of a drug addict in Requiem for a Dream. Additionally, Leto is the vocalist and guitarist of the rock band 30 Seconds to Mars.

See, I told you. Lame.

Someone has to know something a hint more interesting about Bossier City than this guy…. anyone?

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We are here at the brand new Berry Center in Katy, Texas. This place is unbelievable. Tonight is the very first concert this building has ever had, so they are letting us get away with things that, I’m sure will be “against the rules” in the future.

A quick trip to a sports store for some flags, and a found football in one of the locker rooms, and we are ready to play. There is talk about the wager being “band against band” for the headlining spot in tonight’s show. Or, the more popular “crew against bands” with the looser taking care of the load-out responsibilities.

Either way, I have a feeling someone will be hurt…. and I’m pretty sure there will be some scooters on the field before the end of the game.

You know how those Texian’s love their football.

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The following is from an actual “article” that can be found here.

In June 2005, we began investigating the “old town” area of Katy, Texas. We began with no reports of ghosts in Old Town Katy, but a gut feeling that it might produce some good orbs.
Hollow Hill takes pride in reporting on haunted sites before any other website does; no other ghost website has (so far) discovered the ghosts of Old Town Katy.

KATY TRAIN DEPOT
Our first stop was the old train depot at 5710 Highway Boulevard, near East Avenue and 1st Street. This wonderful old building is being restored by the Katy Historical Society.
Only a few of our depot photos show orbs, but those that do are notable.

Ok. I’m no professional photographer, nor ghostbuster, but I can’t help but throw out a hint of logic on this one. Hey Katy! You’re making Texians look stupid. Your ghosts will go away with a short prayer and a quick camera lens wipe.

Who’s got more random stuff featuring Katy, Texas?

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What happens when you give two bands twelve gas powered scooters, and a day of riding around in the middle of San Antonio?

Let me tell you what happens…

They go to lunch at a Mexican Restaurant, get totally impressed with the six-member Mariachi band, and offer them a job. At least that’s what happened today. A few of the guys in each band decided that it would be fun if this very Mariachi band that was serenading their Tex-Mex lunch, would join them on stage tonight for part of the show. In addition to joining them on stage in various parts of the set, they will be walking the aisles during the intermission, and driving the audio crew completely insane. Although there are rumors that the Mariachi’s don’t speak english so it’s possible they don’t know what they are in for.

We’ll see how that goes.

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