Well I guess not...having trouble posting photos for the last 2 days even with small images.

sadly with the guest policies at a lot of hotels you are paying for the many many stupid mistakes other people have made.

and the racism/classism/colorism.

Using the old uploader, image size 85kb

Sorry to hijack your thread Brasi! Please carry on......

Now that I've posted that video, I should tell you I am in a band or four or five and that although I do not make my living playing music, my actual profession and my hobby intersect nicely.

The video above is my band Seven. The tune is from an album we did in 2005 or so. I have another video I made on this recent trip in the works featuring the mighty LISA! It is called Plastic Soldiers and is about the ugly cycle of the rat race we all love. I can't wait to finish it and show you all.

I am working on my next Trip Report installment. Soon come. But Doctor O and I had a Facebook chat and she decided I needed to post something new...lol. So this is a hold-u-over post.

My Facebook link is in my profile if any of ya would like to see lots more pics and things. I would love to be FB friends with any of you that feel the same.

Bless.

This is my most active band, the Brown Dirt Mafia. I wrote the words for this song for my fiance that passed away. This song was conceived while spending a day on the beach in Belmont, January 2012.

I imagined if I could tell her what I was doing, tell her story, and expel some of my thoughts about the whole relationship. I wrote it all down. I kept some of it for this song.

This performance is from the weekend I got back from that trip. We just put an iPhone on a table out front of the PA. It was meant to document a 'rough' version of the song but it ended up coming out as a solid audio file (but not perfect by any means...).

Jamaica inspires and heals me. I hope you enjoy the videos. Hoping to keep you all interested...and since I had these banging around...thought I would share.

Brasi Trip Report April 2012<br>
#4 Dancehall and a Diva<br>
(note: my entries are not in chronological order)

I’m smiling, shaking my booty. Lisa is grinding and gyrating up against me. The downstairs at The Jungle is positively packed and I’m having an insane time. It’s ladies night. But it should be Alex night because I'm loving every second I'm spending with a great woman. Then, as if it can get better...

Lisa turns around and puts her arms around me, then backs off, arms bent, with her hands softly on my shoulders.

She looks me in the eye. I came to know this look. It is the look that says “I GOT this guy in the palm of my hand.” LOL.

“You ok, Alex?” she says, playfully, eyes sparkly, shimmering. She plants a soft, light kiss on lips, mouth partly open. Her eyelashes make me into mush.

Well…except…oh...uh...yes. I’m … er …just fine. Except that well…nevermind. haha.

Just then…GerryG123 saunters up…she looks over my shoulder and lets me know.

“Let’s go,” he says. “Chris is waiting.”

"Ok."

As I follow Gerry toward the exit, it's like exiting a tunnel back into the real world. Walking past a huge crowd of sweathy bodies, guys nodding at me, some refusing to achknowledge my presence, some women looking at me with disdain, others with curiousity, others with no expressions at all.

We arrive in the ante room. Then: I see an old friend, Judge! He’s been looking for me, someone texted him about me being here. We embrace and as we back up, a Jamaican guy asks me for some money with no respect for the fact that I am involved in a conversation.

He’s decently dressed, INSIDE the Jungle. Times can’t be too tough, and frankly, if they are, why are you inside this place?

“Sorry man, almost out of money.” I was telling the truth. I’d dropped around a few thousand J on the cover charge for a few of us.

“Buy me a drink,” he said. I am pretty sure he was drunk.

“Sorry man, don’t buy beer for men,” I said. “Unless you have a poon?”

This is my favorite line to use in this situation. I know it has potential to make folks angry. So be it. If you are asking me to buy you a drink…I can ask you if you’re a real man. If you ask me for money because you are on the street, or because you legitimately need assistance…that’s different.

But a drink?

The guy got pissed. He put his fist in my face, close enough to touch my cheek. He leaned in and said “You better watch your mouth.”

I walked away. In the states…well…let’s just say it’d have been different.

“Later bro,” I said. A few people saw what happened and stepped in between.

We exited The Jungle.

I retrieved my Yankees hat from the “confiscated” bin and followed Chris from Seastar to the van. He was nice enough to drive several us here this night. Very cool of him and why, for my money and pleasure, the Seastar is one of the best places to stay in Negril. The service there, and the food, and the vibe…UNTOUCHABLE.

Gerry was in the van, and immediately lit up. Par for his course, he began asking others questions about their night and providing color commentary about his own observations. He was his normal jovial and opinionated self. The change this time was that Gerry settled down a bit…I think some of the “thrill-seeking” may have taken a toll on the Mighty Californian.

When we got back to my room at Seastar, I took a shower while Lisa rolled up a sub. I had a great time with her on this night and was hoping to ask her to come back next week after I returned from Belmont to stay at “Beach Place.” I’d met her briefly on my last trip and had asked her in to go to The Jungle “when I came back.” I love to meet girls but sometimes the Jungle is 1. Apt to allow you to be introduced to too many 2. The girls at the Jungle are not always the kind you really wanna hang with.

I knew Lisa was cool, and real, and would keep me away from that other type of girl. I'd made a great decision and I think she had a blast too. For real, Lisa had made my night. It was cool to hang out with someone with ‘potential’ for some romance. It was cool to be able to talk to someone who knew the ins and outs of life on the rock. And that scene where she pit her arms around me was straight outta a dream.

We snuggled a little and went to sleep. When we woke up, around 9:30 am, we chatted a bit and she decided to head back to Mandeville.

As soon as she left, I’d wished I’d asked her to chill in Belmont but I already had made plans with another pal.

Now: what was I gonna do on this bright Friday morning?

NEXT UP: The trip gets lil crazy

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/covered-in-dirt-1999-2012/id518157185

Wicked cool of you to say, thanks!

Brasi Trip Report April 2012
#5 A Walk Down the Beach At Night

(Part 1 was transcribed from an iPhone voice memo. The italics are my commentary. Parts were drowned out by surf or I wasn't talking toward the phone)

Part 1

So, here I am again, in Paradise. …appx 13 second pause…sound of surf…footsteps.

I’m having such a great time. I still am feeling pretty f%cked up about “Sarah” and I am not really feeling relaxed but…I guess I'm cool. I had some awesome jerk pork a little while ago with “T.” I guess (unintelligible) always look outward for solutions…

Break in recording.

New recording.

Anyway, so. Yeh. It’s been a good trip and the whole Shauna/April crew is amazing. Mike from Michigan is (garbled) and Booger is insanely cool. His wife is the nicest person on earth. Met them all earlier at Seasplash web cast and it was wicked. I met Jim Hurt, the owner...the boombastic guy, really nice dude. I left Phil and Guy awhile back we had a blast sitting on the beach and I think they met some local dudes and were gonna hang longer. I just met up with “T” at the roundabout for some food cause she kept calling (garbled)... wanted to see her.

We chilled again, but it’s f&cked up how I can’t get to that place…I can’t even talk to people like I used to. I think I just...maybe part of me is gone too…wow that sounded so gay.

Pause for a few seconds.

I was gonna do a video but I don’t feel like it. End

#

Part 2: Back to the Trip Report

At this point that I sat down and realized I’d walked right past my resort.

Lots of times, Jamaica, for me, is not a place to go to just 'be on vacation'…it’s it’s about accomplishing projects (videos for my band, for instance) that I find exciting or fun.

Like most of you guys, after all the parenting, work, band politics, and creative aspirations, there isn’t a ton of time in the days to just do whatever I want to.

This trip, April 2012, was different because so many people were in town that I KNEW…it was almost like being at home…hence why I really never relaxed.

The people I’ve met through internet connections and chilled with in Jamaica are for the most part cut from the same kind of cloth that I am. I love 98% of them, and I hope the feeling is mutual. After all, we have the itch. All of us, united in some way, a common thread coursing through our veins.

But this trip? Almost TOO busy despite the cool people. No one was difficult. I had a blast drinking, eating, smoking and repeating with them all. It was great always bumping in to folks. But at the same time…the solo time I cherish was almost lost completely…and here I was ½ of the way through my trip.

On this walk, I decided that after the Flop and the Chicken Bus…I needed to hide out with Lisa for a few days. LOL. For my sanity when I got back home, if nothing else.

I stood up, and walked back the way I came. “Beach Place” wasn’t far. I hit the sack, and crashed quickly when I got back to the room. I think it was midnight.

Tomorrow (later today) was the Flop!

Next up: How NOT to Rent a Scooter in Negril

"...you know the type...loud as a motorbike...but couldn't bust a grape in a fruit fight..."