Drunk Ramble About Punktry & Western.

Punk.

The term describes a person who rebels against "normal" everyday society. Generally speaking, they incorporate loud, obnoxious, simple, angst-ridden music into their rebellions. They poke fun by mocking, sticking their tongues out, and cursing violently. I have much punk inside me.

Now old and cynical, I can still one hundred percent love and appreciate Punk Rock. My aged personality still hinges on punk tendencies--for good or for bad. I have a short toleration span, and my humoring skills are about as bad as they were when I was 18.

Although my musical stylings have mellowed in my later years towards Americana, Country (the good shit) and obscure Classic Rock, I still live by Iggy, Bad Brains, Rancid, and the Ramones. The simplicity of the music and message are more than straight forward and essentially say "fuck you" to people that don't get it. People who adhere to the norm need not apply--Punk is not interested.

I don't listen to a lot of punk. I don't branch out to find new bands or go to many shows anymore. That part of it is basically over for me. I still listen to the old standbys, though. And a lot of the bands and styles that I listen to nowadays have Punk similarities and influences.

Punk and Country have crossed paths, and it's glorious. Take Jason and The Scorchers, Social Distortion, or the Supersuckers...Punk Country. Or as Sheriff Kevin Joe Phillips of 40 Horse Johnson calls it, "Punktry & Western". (That's my old band--40HJ. We were glorious. Maybe one day I'll be drunk enough writing on this thing that I'll post some old footage of 40HJ doing a little Johnny Cash or Jerry Reed.) A lot of "fuck you" mentality went in to old Country, as well as simple, straight forward music and songwriting. A lot of Punk similarities...I think that's a big reason I like it so much.

Please don't confuse the style of music that I'm describing as something it's not. When Punk and Country cross, you do not get Jason Aldean or Big & Rich. That's what happens when you cross Nickleback, Rascal Flatts, and a bag runny dog shit. When Punk and Country cross, it can be extremely subtle, like when listening to John Prine or Billy Joe Shaver. And I think it's safe to say that Punk Rock was influenced substantially by Country Music. Think Hank Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash. Rockabilly is living, breathing proof that the two genres are best friends.

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Fantastic Combination

I remember when I was a kid, riding in the car with the parents on a hot day with the air conditioning at full blast. And for some reason, at some point, I would feel compelled to roll down my window, at which point one, or both, of my folks would yell, "Roll your window up! You're letting out the cold air!"

I now understand what my parents were yelling about. They had achieved the perfect comfort level for traveling in a car, and they didn't want to have to start all over just because I fucked it all up by rolling my window down.

But now that I'm all growsed up and have my own car, I really like the "A/C On, Windows Down Combo". Especially while driving around town. Dehumidified, cold, crisp air is remarkable, especially places like back home in Missouri where it's more humid than an elephant's butt. But it's hard to beat the soft, cool breeze of fresh, outdoor air coming in through your car window, too.

So why not create a fantastic combination?

Even to this day, my wife or a friend will say, "Oh, we better roll the windows up since the A/C is on." No. No, we don't need to.

"A/C On, Windows Down Combo" is the best of both worlds. I don't lose cold air, I create superior air. I mix it up. I don't settle for either, or. I combine two wonderful methods.

I honestly don't notice a sufficient loss of fuel economy or power to my air compressor--or really anything at all out of the norm with my auto when I have the A/C on and windows down. My car acts just like it does when I have the A/C on and the windows up--like any civilized person would have. And even though a lot of that cold air is getting sucked out of the window and lost forever, my air conditioner makes more. It makes it really fast.

The key to amazing air is this; First turn on your A/C. Turn it on fairly high--about one notch higher than where you would comfortably have it. Then...roll your window down. I like to roll my driver's side window down all the way, and then I usually experiment with other windows at other levels. Sometimes my passenger side window is the way to go. But other times it makes more sense to roll my driver's side backseat window down--usually about half way. That way the wind isn't blowing me away. It's just a soft, cool breeze.

Don't feel guilty about "wasting" your cold air. It was invented to make you more comfortable whilst driving. So turn it up with confidence...and roll that damn window down so you can experience superior air in the form of "A/C On, Windows Down Combo".

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The Perfect Gig.

You ever hear that saying about people that can't figure out what they want to do for a living? I'm not sure where I heard it, but it basically goes: Think of the perfect job for yourself. Then make it happen.

I can appreciate the simplicity--the straightforwardness. Like a lot of jobs, it sounds good on paper. But I'm not here to bitch about my job again. I'm here to talk things out. To figure out how to accomplish that simple, beautiful statement.

First, I must ask myself that very question. "What is the perfect job?"

Hmmm, I've thought about that question every day for the last 15 years. This much I know: The answer isn't "a fireman" or a "fishing guide" or any other established profession. It's one that I have to create.

The perfect job for me isn't settling. It's not having to deal with bullshit on a regular basis. It isn't redundant, routine, or anything resembling a scene out of "Groundhog Day". The satisfaction that comes from the perfect job isn't solely monetary...it's knowing that you are really damn good at what you do, and that you get paid accordingly. The perfect job is one that grew from your thoughts and ideas, one that feeds creativity and adventure, one that makes you feel alive inside. And obviously, one that you don't have live from paycheck to paycheck on.

So, what is it that I consider the perfect job?

Well, it would be foolish to choose something that I have no experience in. So many professions sound romantic and Utopian, but in reality they probably kind of suck. Example: Fly Fishing Guide. "Wow, you get to go fishing everyday and meet new people! That sounds like the best job ever!"

Yes, it does sound like a swell job. But it ain't for me. I've guided, and managed guide services, and it takes away from the passion. But fly fishing is definitely what I would like to do for the rest of my life. So I might as well get paid for it--only not by guiding.

The perfect gig for me is just fishing. Fishing on my own watch, wherever I want to fish, for whatever fish I choose, traveling to different states, countries, continents, and then writing about it. Writing whatever I want to write for whomever I want to write for. Chronicling my travels, my experiences...mapping out my routes, spinning stories about characters--both of human and fishy races.

Here's the catch, though...I don't want to do the whole "finding a publisher" or "networking with people in the business" or any of that shit. I want to travel, fish, eat, drink, bullshit, and write--that's it--and I want to somehow be paid for it. A modest salary plus travel expenses would suffice. Not a lot to ask for, I don't think.

A mature adult person would start submitting pieces to reputable magazines, newspapers, and various publications. They would start finding the names of big shots in the business--people with some pull. Networking, elbow rubbing, trying to make a name for oneself. Someone with terrific ambition would make it their life's work to hit the pavement and assure that this profession would somehow, someday happen. But that isn't perfect. I really don't want to deal with any of that shit. It totally de-perfectizes it. Remember what I said earlier about not wanting to deal with bullshit on a regular basis?

So in a perfect world, I find a way to be able to split for periods of time. I split, and I fish. I fish, and I write. And hopefully, people adore it. And that's when the tens of hundreds of dollars start rolling in.

I also remember hearing a phrase that goes: Do what you love doing, and people will follow...or some shit like that.

Maybe if I incorporate that phrase with the previous phrase, I might be on to something. The perfect job is doing what I love doing. Keep doing it and doing it well, and people will start digging it and paying me money out of their wallets.

I like that.

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