The Verve Pipe - The Freshmen (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover) on iTunes

One of the best live performances ever

The Boy On The Can

                                                          The Boy On The Can

                             
                               
                                  The Story Of a Boy Who Thinks, Speaks and Eats Too much




                                                                                                         




                                                                                                         Gregory A. Duran





I have finally come to the realization that I will use my Macbook Air to write my book and not some fancy new fangled program which up to the point have been so complicated even I or a trained gorilla couldn't figure them out. So off to the land of simple I go using the Word Processor and format it to my liking which should be  a bare boned simple affair without the bells and whistles, I will have those inserted later and more importantly work on the content. So to date i have a rough draft of the table of contents and know exactly what  will cover and how I want to chronologically follow the chain of events that I feel need to be covered.  I am ready for this project but need to get it started so that it will then flow, over thinking it and trying to get it all perfect won't happen and I assume will take a few re writes to get it where I want it o be. Since this book is for me and my family, to share with a few others I seek out no fame or glory other than the sense of accomplishment that it will give me to finish such a painstaking project that requires so much time and discipline to complete. I have a rough cover design and will tweak it a bit I' am sure but for now this will do and get the framework done and work forwards and backwards and meet somewhere in the middle to get this thing done to my liking

A Book Writing Program?

Did not realize that  book writing program was so damn difficult to find and understand, sure there are several but which one? Maddening as it is to search and research the various pros and cons of this version versus that version blah blah blah! I just want more than a word processing format that the Mac has so far is all.  So Yes I am trying to organize and center my thoughts and write a book about my life and the transgressions,pitfalls and victories of my existence dating back to birth and beyond...obviously!

Already started an outline of information and chronicle the dates and times of events that really helped shape me and who I have become as a result of these vents. Trying to look back and see where the cards fell and where I either picked them up or dropped them but I am very excited about the project and would hope to finish it in time for my 50th birthday next January 4th, assuming that the world will still be here with the Mayan calendar end of the world thing. Preliminary pricing for this is about 35 bucks per book up to 120 pages and I would need about 5-6 books for close family members and my own collection which to date is a couple of Blog books that I had made up. So the next thing will be hard cover, softcover ,good glossy paper, pictures no pictures, who knows? But either way the writing of this journey will be very joyful and painful at times, deaths,divorce, parenting not to mention bad choices and decisions on my part. So the journey to here is a roller coaster ride but a necessary tell all from grades kinder on up, my teachers, influences and friends of the time that I still remember vividly. I will be a tell all, share everything tale of me and the life that is shared with others. Look forward to getting it started and let the emotions flow as they must to be a real account of what drum sound beats from the crazy fella they call Gregory Anthony Duran

Scattered thoughts, Battered body, Strong Mind!

Was trying to input some thought here earlier today and was interrupted, had a few moments away from that thought and it has now disappeared from my head. Maybe the age is catching up to me or the thought wasn't that important or interesting to hold close enough to remember? Whatever the case may be it's a Thursday afternoon late in the workday and I'm trying to kill the last hour by jotting down some ideas, thoughts, rants or whatever I can muster up at this point in the day. The last hour of work is very difficult for me in that i prepare myself for the gym and get very anxious about it, not for the love of the gym and the workout, but the waiting portion ad knowing that today will bring about a good, hard time consuming hour and a half of torrential boredom of doing the routine again. So with that being said the long lunch and birthday celebration for Amber went well, especially and unusually feeling sluggish even after not finishing my lunch and having a marginal piece of the birthday cake, which was deadly and more amazing since it was a Costco sheet cake and tasted like one of my own, maybe even better! So back to my desk and sitting down and wondering why i feel so lackadaisical and sluggish and making me even more anxious about heading to the gym and feeling a bit of energy come back as a result of a good workout.

Looking ahead to the weekend I don't really foresee too much activity, or planned activity, might help myself decide what I'm going to do about my golf game and whether or not to get different clubs or work with what i have which is an old collectors item of Ping Eye and a set of Ping eye3 dinosaurs by today's standard. Although they feel great when i hit them properly when i don't i lose too much yardage and this inconsistency is killing my scores on the course. But that's the least of my golf issues, still baby the knee a bit too much and don't play with the reckless abandoned that I once did, time and effort will point me in the right direction in regards to the game of Golf. Looking forward to Terria's knee surgery on Feb 3 this year and get her in shape to resume her Golfing and hitting balls so that we can play together and hit the gym harder than ever and get into the shape we need to be in for 2012 and beyond.

Trying to be honest with myself as usual and feeling a bit of irony in missing the motorcycle again, it was a flash purchase to buy the Ducati last January and held onto that for about 8-9 months before tiring of riding, it was more the fact that the Ducati wasn't a GSXR and what I'm truly partial to riding, buying a neutered 130 hp bike versus a 170 plus hp Superbike 1000cc beast that I'm used to riding with ease made me want to ride it less but i made my chose and lived with it for 9 months, now that it's gone I do miss the ride of  an inline GSXR 1000 that was so very kind to me for all of these years and helped me progress to levels of riding that i never thought I would attain. Will i ever buy another GSXR ? don't know and can't say fr sure, do i want one, I do but will wait a bit for things to pan out with the house and other more important things that must come first financially. We have a few trips scheduled for this year, spring trianing in March and World and AMA Superbike racing in Salt Lake city , after that the slate is clean and we wait to see what finances and desires will cover for the remainder of 2012. Still working on family and personal goals and getting stronger everyday and building upon therapy and personal gains that I have achieved to date with Terria and my family. So 2012 is looking positively forward and that's all that I can ask for at this point in my life.   So this year is trying to look to the positive and get rid of all the negativity that surrounds the fringes of our lives, the boys, their ;lives, bad decisions and youthful ignorance are hot topics of discussion in the upcoming year, so we venture onward, forward and looking back only to learn and remember how Not to do it! Good times and great days ahead!

Gotye performing "Somebody That I Used To Know" on KCRW

The Coolest song 've heard in a long time, the words, harmony and overall unique style has blown this music lover out of the water like an italian Cruise ship! ok , not that much but enough for me to tap my foot endlessly for a week to this tune. Love the tune, and the chick singing, Kimbra!

Jan 15,1984, 8:48am.

The hardest day of my life began on a Sunday morning at the titled day and time, a mere 21 years old and ready for the long life ahead of me. My father went out for breakfast alone that day, usually I was with him but  night of youthful ignorance and partying with my friends kept me away from my father that day as sleep was the thing I needed! As my father went to one of his usual stops, Bob's Big Boy a mere 2 miles from the house he enjoyed his last breakfast he would ever eat.  We got the call that he was on his way to the hospital and that he was in bad shape. Well after we arrived I knew he was gone, long before we got called into the chaplains office to be told that my father had passed away around 8:48 that morning. We were all taken to the saddest place we had ever been, a long stare at my older brother and the first time I ever saw him cry was equally as devastating to me. After that the family went in to see my deceased father as he lie in wake on the gurney, I chose to stay away and remember him for what he was to me, my loving father with all of his faults and miscues, he was still amazing to me and that i will never forget him or his memory, well until yesterday when the anniversary of his passing was forgotten until Terria reminded me around 11 pm, I realized that today was the 15th and had no clue, I immediately felt horrible that this day was somehow lost in the sea of life that we were living, /my father's death will never be forgotten but on this day it nearly was and for that i feel a little guilty that my life has taken that turn when I am so emotionally busy to remember a day such as yesterday?

So moving on to today  remember my father maybe a day late but never a day short, I miss the thoughts of going out to breakfast with him and now have replaced that with going to breakfast with my Terria , after the gym we plan on going to get some food to eat and spend the day thinking about the past and the present that  am so thankful for. The day has come with simple pleasures already, the joy of having working plumbing again and a shower and a good poop are no longer a wish and prayer but an actuality and a done deal! Good times for sure and the damn gym hollers at me when Terria doesn't! just kidding, she never hollers at me, just suggests and loves the way I'm accustomed to. So off to workout, eat and do some shopping ! Happy Martin Luther King Day!

JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory Jesse Ventura

A definite watch that bears a serious tone and has some incredible facts to me that seems to go along with so much of what i have always thought. The WArren commission was a joke and 4 future Presidents had a part in the planning, or partial part in being a part of the conspiracy! A definite Must watch and bring about some questions that the Govt. will not want people to question .Watch it and make your own determination, with an open mind and open conscience!

A Day in The Life, Plans, plumbing and Parties!

Still plugging along with the daily goodness that invades my heart , a very mellow and tranquil long weekend which has gone relatively smoothly with the exception of some bad plumbing in the house that will be taken care of by Plumber/my boss Peter hopefully tomorrow sometime. A few trips to the gym this weekend and a missed day today  , made a chocolate cake for a house warming for Niece Karina and her Fiance James.The day went well and we ate and had the usual family conversations which can at times get a little testy. Had a really nice conversation with James ' father tonight, talked about some really cool things in Northern California and how he invited me to go up North with the boys to do some fishing and some shooting at his friends ranch in a place called Yuba city,sounded like a good time so said sure , keep me posted.

Set up our trip to Salt Lake City for our second annual World Superbike trip to watch World Superbikes and the AMA Superbikes share a race weekend in Salt Lake City , actually the city of Toele Ut. which is 20 minutes North of SLC. Terria and I are really excited about this trip again and might take
april and Tim if they choose to come along, we shall see but we are definitely going if all stays the same and we are well by that time, or the Mayan calendar doesn't kick in and take us all away from this earth, actually the Republicans are doing their best to make sure that the apocalypse comes sooner than later and they hopefully will not get their way in this matter! Come what may we are planning this trip in May. Before then we are headed to Spring training in Arizona again this year March 22-26 we think and will try to catch at least 5-7 games both day and night while we are there. So far Brandon,Terria and I are set to head out to Az for the Dodgers, Rangers, Royals and Reds and anybody else we can watch ,with the exception of the Angels, don't want to fight that circus with Pujols, besides not much of an Angels fan anyway. I am really looking forward to the Dodgers this year, actually Baseball as a whole will be enjoyed more so this year because it is my true passion, more so than Football and Basketball, Baseball is king!

Going to enjoy the Martin Luther King Holiday tomorrow, Monday January 16 and then head back for a full 4 days of work and gym workout. Tomorrow will bring me a wait for Peter to snake a drain of mine that has clogged toilets and showers and then free me up for a great gym workout and a day of some relaxing activity with My Wife Terria. Missing the boys lately and wishing that Braz and Ty were back here close and safe  but we wait and wonder when will return back home. "I am currently reading the Assassination of JFK, the Vincent Bugliosi  nearly 1600 page journal of what he thinks is not a conspiracy and  wholeheartedly disagree with him , even though he is one of my favorite authors to date, there are so many things that don't add up to my and the fact that I just watched a documentary from Jesse Ventura which catalogued allot of my own personal feelings, I will post the youtube video on this site when  finish up with this and judge for yourself where the numerous errors and inconsistencies just glare out and hit you over the head, but regardless the Warren Commission s still and always will be full of shit

"The Assassination Of JFK" by Vincent Bugliosi

Just started reading Vincent Bugliosi's "Reclaiming history, the story of the JFK Assassination, he claims in this 1500 page book that there was no Conspiracy and that Oswald was the lone shooter, also claiming that the Warren commission was on the up and up with it's findings. I have long disputed this whole sequence of findings forever, never trusting the validity of most government panels as there always seems to be a hidden agenda and that so many people did not like the direction that JFK was going to take the country. Making many enemies with other leaders and countries, the Mob and many wall street types he had allot of people who benefited by his assassination ,either morally or financially gained from his death! so I read one of my favorite authors with the same fervor that i would read a Schaeffer book, admiring the writing style an the time and efforts put forth in writing such a detailed account of one of history's most amazing events. For so many years the fact that the Kennedy assassination is still even larger in scope than the 9-11 attacks on the WTC is still amazing to me. The 9-11 attacks and Bugliosi states really affected over 3000 families directly, their sadness and anger was shared by many but never to the point of the feeling that the JFK killing has on countries around the world, millions of people cried in horror that the most powerful man in the free world, the man who was to change the world with his leadership was cut down in his 40's. His death impacted the world in so many ways and we can really look back and ask ourselves how much would be different had he lived and served out his terms?

Yes, the world was a different place back then but I had hoped that the world would be a better place for me and my kids by the time i reached my current 49 years of living. The world has changed so much for the worst and the fact that we have densensitized ourselves for caring for others and chasing the almighty dollar is really sickening to me. the fact that conservative Christians claim that they  love and care yet show nothing but hate and discontent and saving money is their biggest plea and reason for existence, don't raise taxes, don't provide services for those who are less fortunate than we are and let industries fall on their faces SO that we can relive another depression is their claim to fame, all under the guise of being good Christians and not even trying to hide their hypocricies! Yes the worlds pulse is definitely beating to a different drum these days, apresident who is trying to work with the irrational thought process of the GOP and the hatred that has been spewed about in his name, because he's black? ,because he's all about change? , because he's correct in his stance and that pisses the Republican /Christian base off? I can only think that the similarities in Kennedy and President Obama are similar in a loot of ways, really changing the structure of the way Washington is run and some just do not like it too much. He will win anothe r4 years as the GOP has nothing worthy of competition to run against him. So living and learning how disparities in life,politics,religion and lifestyles don't always mesh too well and people are not afraid to tell you to go Screw yourself. People are tired of certain factors and sectors of politics and big business so they told us so and marched and occupied their stance in a very powerful way! I love what democracy has given us, unfortunately we have to take the great with the note so great and we must deal with the GOP by kicking their asses at the polls, this was done before and will be done again in 2012. My faith in humanity has been stretched a bit but i feel that the lunatic sect of the right has banned themselves from most rational thinking people in this country, which I consider myself to be a part of, the rational thinking sector that is! So in reading Bugliosi's book on the JFK assassination i keep an open mind and respect his writing and research in this matter, this is the one issue that i am ashamed of my country for and about, the Killing of the countries greatest President and now that they are trying to denigrate our current President with racial slurs and threats of harm and questioning his citizenship is a far stretch and cry for how pathetic some of these people truly are. So vincent Bgliosi has me captivate so far with the over 1500 pages of knowledge , information and hard work that he has committed to this amazing piece of history,I shall read with an open mind and keep my previous convictions to myself, maybe even try to read the Warren Commission findings one day to truly try to understand what really happened on November 22, 1963, So off to read I go and hope that this shouldn't take morethan 3 weeks to get through.

Frank Schaeffer's Sex,Mom and God

Finally after buying 2 copies of this amazing book I was able to finish the Book tonight.Frank Schaeffer has been the biggest spiritual influence to me in my nearly 50 year old life and have read nearly everything he has put out to date.After a 6 month lull in reading and a minor break writing here I finally knocked out 2 books this week and feel like a third by Weeks end . Schaeffer's book hits so close to my heart in that it touched on the belief in God and not the book so many get stuck on, the Bible s a great literary work with so many flaws, but don't let the masses hear you say that aloud other wise a stoning and beheading awaits you at the next pancake breakfast. All kidding aside the book was very informative as are the rest of his masterpieces and touch my spirituality and belief in God through practical living and common sense. The words of Schaeffer strike close to my heart and soul as being spiritual and believing in God doesn't have to be a "do as I do for this is the only way a real Christian lives and speaks and breathes, not so with Schaeffer's style of Christianity and belief system. To know that Frank Schaeffer lusted after , or I should say was falling for a younger gal and somehow was able to make sense of it all and prove that we are all capable of bad things, bad thoughts and intentions and actions don't always have to meet at the same ending point. Bravo again Frank Schaeffer and thanks again for responding to my email to you a few weeks back, made my day and  saved the responses you sent me back as a badge of your superstar status that you have become to my understanding of my beliefs and as a positive example of a caring human being through practical living and advise has enriched a man like myself with all of my flaws to realize that we are all capable of good and bad in our lives. I took this statement in the epilogue to heart and read it aloud to my wife Terria and said, this is was very simple yet profound way of thinking , very much like the Golden Rule theory that I have adopted from Schaeffer's writings and teachings, this line means so much to me at this point in my life. "you don't choose anything important ,it just happens. The only choice you have is if you'll make life's accidents work." Very ,very profound and so darn true,, thanks again Frank Schaeffer! And as a side note thanks for recommending Vincent Bugliosi's "Divinity" ,an amazing read along with his "The Prosecution of George W. Bush For Murder" WOW! Next up Bugliosi's Assassination of JFK, a long read but a real stigma for me over the years as this happened when I was merely 10 months old...Good Times!

Facing The Past, Winning the Future

Sometimes a stone unturned
Is better off that way
The sludge and turmoil
Of mistakes gone by

running through my debris field
as I drive on by I avoid this mess
Do I suppress, or will I compress
my bad choices of self destruction

Trying to let it all go
never to forget but to remind myself
the path of destruction I left behind
has never truly escaped my mind

I can look back and forget where I am
I can move forward and never look back
I can fool myself into thinking that neither will occur
A fool am I for suggesting I'm OK

Tell tale signs of weariness
Foggy eyes and dreariness
I Stand by myself in disappointment
Day by day I try to grow

A heartfelt search and cleansing thought
To feel the pains and have no patience
For the pains to diminish and go away
Living is learning and finding my way

I pressure myself to be the rock
The strength and reassurance to know I'm not
any good to anybody til I right my own ship
That life has given me an I.V. drip

Slowly I work towards a peaceful end
Look beyond my weakest traits
Where is the finish line to my personal race
To win my life every single day

Out of Alignment

Writing tonight with a weird sense of uneasiness, don't know why, don't know how but there seems to be a bit of misalignment in the world today!  feel a touch of sadness, seeing Terria not feeling well with her knee, the new year has brought the flu all across the board to include me and ruined a 3 year stretch of healthy existence. So as the world turns and thoughts of the boys and the injured knee of Terra's cloud my thoughts tonight. Seeing the world in topsy turvy status doesn't help either, I mean really Tim Tebow beats the Steelers ,something is definitely amiss! A little worried about my wife, she has the bum knee and must wait til Thursday to see a real Orthopedic, not the quack Workman's comp doctor who made her so angry with his demeanor and rudeness! So come what may she will get fixed up and her quality of life will return, back to gym and golfing with me as we were and all will be better.

I guess part of my uneasiness comes from the unknown status of the younger boys, worried that the decisions that they have made might haunt them forever and don't really like that fact too much! But the realities tell me that they must live and hopefully learn from the trial and tribulations of living life at a young age. But i also realize that we as parents will forever wonder and worry, stomp and chomp at the bit for we love our children and never want them to do things the hard way, probably since we already did that before them and hoped that they would learn from our words and encouragement and ongoing verbiage of right versus wrong and all the consequences that ensued with a given action...Oh well, I defer to my faith in God for the strength to understand and the patience to stand back and let it go!

Tomorrow should be an interesting day at work, have another state of the union meeting at work and some hell should break lose tomorrow at 930 am. So much apathy and disregard for the blessed right to have a great job and all we need to do is show up and be where we are supposed to be. Some find it nearly impossible to do the right thing or to be accountable for their jobs and selves and take the job as a siesta of sorts where they should be allowed to run amok at leisure. so hopefully the boss will put a foot down, albeit probably a temporary foot and all will resume as usual a few weeks from now. So i attend the meeting tomorrow not knowing whether to be the voice of reason or the voice of doom and put forth my own stamp on what  see and how ungrateful i see my coworkers towards each other, instead of cover for me , we should have the mindset of I'm here to make your job easier, but we all seem to get stuck in that laid back mindset where the boss won't mind and we will all be back to our normal slackers selves in a matter of short time! Whatever comes, i have yet to decide my impact on this meeting and whether or not to unleash and ask for accountability amongst all of the crew? We shall see depends on allot of factors and I'm not there yet so can't honestly say what i will say or do! So the week will be a short one, a 4 day weekend for me as the Martin Luther King holiday will add a day to my already shortened workweek ! Very lucky to and very fortunate to be in a situation as this and do enjoy my time off from work even though work is not a bad place to go to everyday and do enjoy what I do and it has allowed us to do allot of good things for ourselves! So as the day started off with a hint of weirdness, it ends with a bout of bad gas after an evening of Tommy's Chili burger...oh well should have known better but never learn, a good taste wins over the after effects every single time, one day i might just learn the lesson, til then the world will suffer  the consequences of mal odorous smells leaking from my backside...lol Too much Information

A New Year

The holidays are finally over and the last day of vacation wears down, returning to work tomorrow after 11 days of vacation. Really want to get back into the flow of work again and the routine that I like so much. The Holidays brought us a good time of the year and enjoyed the family and the get together of food and family togetherness. As the year of 2011 ended I had no real sadness to see it go or to hold onto anything that transpired, another year in the books and another one in front of us to conquer and win the way I see it! The fact that 2012 brings us more hopes and thoughts of another happy and healthy year of living life the way It should be lived, with life and vigor and no looking back at the end of each day.

So gone are the resolutions and the thoughts of a changing the entire world and better serve the planet by making breakthroughs in our life that we had never done before, being a bit more realistic we move along in our continuing happiness and try to be more reasonable i certain areas of our lives, diet and exercise will always be a big part of our lives so we make our daily visit to the gym and try to cook better, healthier meals to try to extend our years to make each year an add on to the happiness that we have been subjected to so far in life. As my 49th birthday approaches on January 4th I look back and ask myself where dd the time go?I cannot imagine this time next year that  will be the magic half century and cannot even fathom that number to be a true barometer of how old I am.  feel and act like a little boy and don't and cannot see myself growing old but will give in to mother nature's aches and pains as a real indicator of what age  really is! So off for a great new year and hoping that we can all meet here again this time next year and do it all over again!