Captain Hugh Fitzgerald

...

2009-02-07T21:06:36Z

Paid - Download

Cafe at noon
She gets off soon
But she sits, and talks till one
Because there's something I've done

There's nothing I can say
Most people turn away
But she knows I've paid

Is there something on her mind
Or is she just kind?
She sips her wine
And her tears match mine

I look into my cup
These sins can't be covered up
She knows I've paid
She knows

Her eyes fall dead
Was it something I said?
The Rose slowly grows
And becomes a ghost

She reaches for my hand
Could it be she understands my pain?
She takes me away
She knows I've paid

hughfitzgerald @ 2008-11-05T10:29:00

2008-11-05T18:31:38Z

From the LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-gaymarriage6-2008nov06,0,2331815.story

The measure was the most divisive on the state ballot. Its passage throws into doubt the unions of thousands of recently wed couples.

Nice juxtaposition of image and text.

hughfitzgerald @ 2008-11-05T01:29:00

2008-11-05T09:30:35Z

I'm going to stay up and watch Proposition 8 tighten and tighten. And it probably won't shift far enough. I think marriage equality is gone in California.

I experienced great excitement and joy when Obama clinched the electoral college. But that's pretty much all gone for me now, and I don't see it coming back.

This is a tragedy. And that's how I feel tonight.

...

2008-10-27T08:57:52Z

It Rains It Pours - Download

I ran into you
at the corner of
some dusty old ghost town

tell me did you
drop this note
I found it on the ground

it said that she's leaving,
that she was deceiving
when she said she was yours

man, when it rains it pours

I met you at
some social event
a meeting of local minds

I saw a gaze
directed at you
And not just any kind

the look said, "I can't take
a world with such heartbreak,
and all the fault is yours."

man, when she whispers she roars

I argued with you
just outside the doors
of a nameless local dive

tell me did you
care what I said
or was your anger contrived

our words push the gears
they grind on for years
and now the next move is yours

man, when time flies it soars

Proposition 8 Nonsense and Rambling

2008-10-09T07:00:44Z

I’m not a sociologist. I’m not a psychologist. I’m just a human being. But you don’t need to be wearing a white coat to know that kids need a mom and a dad.

-Greg Koukl, Stand to Reason
http://christianpost.com/article/20081002/thousands-of-california-christian-youth-empowered-to-defend-marriage_page2.htm

I'm convinced. I don't know how I have been so blind. Has anybody read the text of Proposition 8? Here, I'll excerpt it for you:

Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Oh, and also we'll be giving every kid a mom and a dad. Free. BAM! Just like that. No new taxes. Parents will just appear like magic. By the grace of God.

You're welcome.

I'd cite it, but I can't seem to find the website I got it from. I hope that whole last part is in there, otherwise I'm not so sure it's worth taking away marriage rights. What else does that Greg Koukl guy have to say about the effect of the amendment?

My hat is off to all single parents [...] But why would we want to engineer that on purpose and make it the law of the land that we can deprive a child of a mother or a father?

WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! Greg! Stop the presses! Your group has power under the law to deprive a child of a mother or a father?! I understand you wanting to give up this power, but I don't think the amendment as currently drafted will do that. Here's how I would fix it: strike the whole first sentence and just say something like "Stop Douchebags, Inc. from screwing with the families of California." I think that would even make all the No on 8 (Equality for All) people happy, too.

Yes, Greg, I'm being intentionally obtuse. I'll come clean. I support Equality for All and I am voting no on Prop 8. The argument you are raising here is that we should remove same-sex marriage because it encourages same-sex couples to have children, and children that do not have a mom and a dad are worse off than children that do have a mom and a dad. This argument is not supported by facts.

But for a second, let's assume it is valid. I still would vote no on prop 8. I think the right to marry is vitally important, even if it sets up a bad incentive. Allowing people to legally have sex outside marriage sets up a similarly bad incentive, but I believe, too, that that right is vitally important. And ignoring the inherent value of basic human rights for a second, preserving same-sex couples' right to marry sets up a bunch of awesome incentives for society. If you think marriage brings stability to relationships, then what about all the same-sex couples that already have children. Wouldn't them getting married be great for their children?

Let's face it, there are a shit-ton of great things about same-sex marriage. Even if I accept your premise that it encourages a non-ideal situation for raising children (which I don't), that would be outweighed by all the great things it brings.

Okay, ignore all the ramblings above. I've had a long day. I'll just get to the point.

Vote No on 8. I have donated and volunteered for the campaign. It's important. If you can spare the time and/or money, I encourage you to do what you can.

http://noonprop8.com/contribute

hughfitzgerald @ 2008-10-07T08:47:00

2008-10-07T15:50:26Z

Got this from thesuperalice:

"Take a picture of yourself right now. Don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair... just take a picture. Post that picture with NO editing. Post these instructions with your picture."

I just got out of the shower this morning, and I'm about to do homework before I go to school.

Sing Sing Tommy Shay - Mix CD

2008-06-30T07:05:00Z

So I'm on this Tom Waits mailing list and they have a mix CD exchange every year. I joined up and I was charged to put together a mix CD of music that most people on the list probably hadn't heard before. I think I did a fair job, though I put some on there that's at least sort of well known.

I figured that since I'm making them and mailing them out anyway, I should open it up here to see if anyone wants one. Email me or comment here and I'll mail you one if you get to me before I get to the post office. I won't post the track list here, but it has some of the following: Frederic Rzewski, Dan Hicks, Sun Ra, Marah, etc.. It's very enjoyable. 15 Tracks. 80 Minutes. Sing Sing Tommy Shay.

hughfitzgerald @ 2008-05-15T10:31:00

2008-05-15T17:32:34Z

Same-sex marriage in California.

http://legalpad.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/05/supremes-strike.html

Traveling

2008-05-05T08:35:32Z

I'm not a traveler. I have little interest in traveling.

But this summer I'm planning on going to Vancouver; Washington, DC; and Maine (by way of driving from Boston.) Tom Waits just announced his tour:

http://www.tomwaits.com/

So now I may go to Phoenix also.

How am I going to pay for this when my summer job is unpaid? That's what over-borrowing from student loan people is for!

(Really, I'm taking the train to Vancouver, and the DC trip is subsidized. But, yeah, the other money is coming from a mix of tax refund and excess student loans. Now I have to be a lawyer to pay all that shit back.)

Jimmy Guiffre

2008-05-01T01:16:56Z

Never heard of this guy before I read his obituary in the LA Times on Monday, but this video blew me away:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5B9f5GEZYA

By The Way

2008-03-23T08:37:19Z

How bitchin' would it be to take a 2.5 hour train trip from LA to San Francisco?

Update

2008-03-22T04:47:14Z

I haven't posted here in a while, and I should do a more proper update sometime. But here I just want to talk about my keyboard. A few weeks ago I bought a MIDI keyboard with some of my tax refund money. I love the damn thing. I've been learning some music from Pride and Prejudice, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, John Cale, etc. I've also been trying out some of my songs and seeing how they translate. Here's one that I wrote a few months ago. It works way better on keyboard than it did on guitar.

City Suicide - Download

Little man bent down and picked up half
Of the broken glass on the sidewalk path
He sinks a shard in the drying walls
The light can't catch them all

The light can't catch them all
It's too late to recall
The memories on the window side;
Only watch them fly
Out of the window and up to the sky
City Suicide

Station bell rings at half past four
These early morning crowds always want more
Little man lays down with burning wax
Trains don't cross these tracks

Trains don't cross these tracks
Switchmen turn their backs
The waiting people close their eyes
But it plays out in their minds
Blackness mixes with freshly spilled wine
City Suicide

Also, here's an older one re-done with fake cello and fake mellotron: Gone Too Far

Performance

2007-12-03T11:52:10Z

I played three gigs in the last week, and I had a good time doing it. I think I'm getting better as a solo performer; I'm starting to become more comfortable behind a microphone. Hopefully I'll create more chances to practice it in the near future.

I think being a solo entertainer is something I haven't really tried. Going on a stage and trying to keep a crowd's attention is very different from providing background music or playing as part of a larger group. I'm interested in exploring how to be engaging, and how to do it while still being genuine and myself and all that. It's cool when there's someone you don't know, and you win them over and you manage to keep them on your side; maybe you can convince them you are something special. This happens occasionally in everyday life, but what if you could do it to a roomful of people all at once? That's something different. Maybe you can do it with just your art, but most people that pull it off do it with their personality and energy first, because without that, most people won't listen to what you really want to say.

The other night I must've hit a bad note or something, and I heard someone say, "Man, you're lucky you're funny." Or else you wouldn't forgive the occasional bad note? I think I'm okay with that.

Music on Last.fm

2007-11-03T21:33:31Z

I put some of my newer recorded music on Last.fm. Here's an embedded playlist of it:

Really Addictive Game (Which apparently I am the last to know about)

2007-10-18T04:19:03Z

http://ishi.blog2.fc2.com/blog-entry-211.html?new

My current top score is -49

Change of Pace (With Bb on every beat)

2007-10-05T03:22:07Z

You Know Me (Something Good) - Download

It's something good
When you can't hear nothing but
A heavy breath and the sound from my lips:
Your sugar left, but now he's back at your fingertips
It's something good
That in my bed at night
I couldn't stop thinking of you
Your sugar's back and he knows just what do

We met once in a dream
While I was out of your scene
Things may not be what they seem
But you know me

It's something good
That this feels so new to you
My voice is gruff but my touch is the same
Your sugar left, so pretend you don't know his name
It's something good
That in my bed at night
No other girl would do besides you
Your sugar's back because he didn't quite think it through

So you don't remember things
Or who I used to be
You can make sure if you please
But you know me

It's something good
That your heart jumped right away
But then a question crossed over your face
Your sugar left, but now who's here in his place
Trust in me
You gotta know a man can change
But go on, make sure like any girl would
Your sugar left, yes, but I swear I'm something good

And a quick song

2007-10-03T08:09:36Z

Like Yesterday - Download

Lookin' down the highway
Not feelin' the right way
The two dollar ride's been paid
But I'm left on the highway
There's grain in the wind
But I won't hide my face again
Like yesterday

There's water on my face
And an obstacle in my place
The rain falling sets the pace
And water dries on my face
Some things go away
But nothing's gone like yesterday

Saw Comedy Tonight

2007-10-03T06:35:32Z

Great Line-up:
Sklar Brothers
Jimmy Pardo
Steve Agee
Kristen Schaal
Andy Daly
Howard Kremer
Louis CK
Brody Stevens

I definitely laughed the hardest at Andy Daly and Brody Stevens. I'm really digging seeing live stand-up because there's so much more to stand-up than what you normally see on TV. A lot of the comedians I've been seeing, Daly and Stevens included, don't just go up and tell jokes. Some of them work with the crowd (Pardo and Stevens), some of them develop personas that are heavily satirical (Daly) or strangely and humorously nuanced (Stevens). Kristen Schaal was trying out new material (or so she said) and she did an odd pantomime bit where the thing that made me laugh the most was the weird way she would mumble rather than talk while she was miming conversations or reactions. It wasn't the funniest thing I've ever seen, but it was really original and that's a big deal when all the stand-up I saw growing up was on Comedy Central and HBO. And speaking of HBO, it was very cool to see Louis CK, who showed up as a surprise guest. I saw his stand-up special over the summer and have been wanting to see more from him.

Please Help

2007-09-25T06:10:55Z

I decided to re-record a lot of my songs and try to put together a demo to send to some venues around LA. (I'm not looking to be a rock star; I just enjoy performing and want to find some places I can play.) I've got a bunch done and I think it's sounding really good, so I might try to clean them all up and put them together as an album with a title and everything.

Anyway, I'd like some help deciding things like which songs I should use, which songs should be re-recorded again, and what order I should put the songs in. (Since a demo would likely be just a few songs; I'd also like to know which few are the strongest.) If you'd like to help, email me at my gmail address: immobilesteelrims. I can send you the songs, or if you are in my area, I can burn them and give you a CD. As much as I like giving my music to my friends, I'm really only looking for those of you that are willing to listen to the thing a few times and give me specific and honest feedback (and constructive: you might think everything about it sucks, but there's nothing I can really do about that.)

Once I have a finished product that I am completely happy with, I'll give it to anyone that wants it.

hughfitzgerald @ 2007-09-18T23:42:00

2007-09-19T06:42:25Z

I went with Jessica to Comedy Death-Ray at UCB tonight and laughed my ass off. There I saw not one, not two, not three, but FOUR Mudders, including one that I saw at every party during my four years at Mudd, even though he graduated when I was a Sophomore.

Also there was this extremely drunk dude sitting behind me that kept heckling the performers, but he got heckled back pretty hilariously throughout the evening right up until he tumbled out towards the bathroom and he was escorted from the building.

It was the working title for Navy Seals

2007-09-14T07:31:22Z

The Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater is my new home away from home. Everything I see there is entertaining, and I get so much for the little money I spend (although it does take me too long to drive through all the traffic to get there.)

Also I was sitting on the toilet this morning reading a soapbox and it turns out the last ingredient in Irish Spring Moisture Blast is ultramarines. I think that's worth noting.

How to be alone on the weekend

2007-09-09T06:58:32Z

On Wednesday or Thursday I made a budget so that I don't spend myself into oblivion. This weekend I spent a lot of money, but it's all within my budget, so it must be justified.

Yesterday I ate at this crappy Italian restaurant near my house and ate some ice cream at an okay ice cream place near my house. Then I went to Culver City to see The Bourne Ultimatum, then I went to the Westside Pavilion to see 3:10 to Yuma. I enjoyed both thoroughly, but I didn't realize that movie tickets had become so expensive. The latter place was supposed to be a really luxurious theater experience where you buy a ticket for a certain seat and everything, but the only thing that was really different was the leather seat.

Today I wanted to check out some live comedy, so I looked up some shows and decided to go see ASSSSCAT at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater. It was incredibly hilarious and now I will go all the time. I need to seek out all the awesome (inexpensive) live comedy around here.

Warts and All

2007-09-05T07:18:41Z

I Rule the Sheets - Download

There's humor still in what we think
We're hot inside where we are pink
I say what's real and you don't blink

I'll learn to dance like Jimmy Brown
We'll cut a rug when I'm in town
You lift off the ground so don't look down

I rule the sheets beneath your head
I love the things that make you red
I work three jobs to keep us fed
I must not be so good, then

I drive you nuts you drive me mad
You make me scared, but just a tad
And I just want you to think I'm bad

A tiny space between our toes
The smell of you stuffed up my nose
There's sweat and silence in the throes

hughfitzgerald @ 2007-08-28T22:54:00

2007-08-29T05:56:31Z

Composure - Download
EDIT: Download Take 2

Fear in the air
Because something we know is out there
We've hunted random prey along the way
Fear in the air
It's easy not to care
But somebody's hurt now

It happened again
Right when you try to forget
It happens again
You were the happiest you'd ever been
But somebody's hurt now

There's a reason

It's in our blood
Something we know is in there
And it's easy not to care
But it's still in there
And it's too strong to bear
Because somebody's hurt now

Do we just die?
Do we throw up our hands and cry,
I won't even try?
It will happen again
And there's no telling when
It's too easy not to care

There's a reason
Composure's gone now
And we're feeling lost now

Law school and other stuff

2007-08-22T04:03:30Z

I started law school on Monday and I really enjoy it which is a huge relief. I was afraid that I would hate it and it would all be hellish and I would be buried in horrendous debt. I like the professors and I love doing the readings and everything. I should be aware, though, that after only few days I probably don't have a very good idea of what it is going to be like, but I am more optimistic now.

I also think I will get used to living in a real place away from home life and dorm life. I am pretty sure I will have about as much free time as I did at Mudd (probably more since there will be considerably fewer extra curricular and social activities,) and I will be able to continue doing music stuff, so I won't totally lose my soul. Something I was thinking about songwriting lately: I've commented before about how hard I try and how hard I fail at writing up-tempo songs, but I've also noticed that I don't think I've ever written a song that is really cool. I think in general the songs that I like (and I'm talking songs in general, not just my stuff) are either cool or sincere, and I think my best songs are probably the ones that are really sincere and genuine and I can play them without being too tongue-in-cheek about it. I'm not sure I'm capable of writing a cool or up-tempo song, at least not while I'm just writing and playing music all by myself in my room. I may have written some good up-tempo songs for bands I was in.

I went to see Super Bad last night and got a free movie ticket to a screening of another movie. I think I might try to see free movies a lot if I can; it seems like there are lots of opportunities for that. Also, I just missed a Bobby Bradford concert at UCLA which occurred the second night I was in town. I am kicking myself.

If anyone is in the LA area and wants to hang out some time, get in touch with me and we will do it.