Type O Negative Slow Deep and Hard 30th Anniversary

For the 30th anniversary of Slow, Deep and Hard, Roadrunner Records in conjunction with Run Out Groove, reissued the debut on vinyl. Limited to 500 copies.

Slow, Deep and Hard is their debut studio album, released in 1991 on Roadrunner Records. The album, originally titled None More Negative and released in 1990 under the group’s former name Repulsion, launched the band’s career. The album has a rawness that was prominent in Peter Steele’s previous band, Carnivore, but it incorporates elements that became standard for Type O Negative, merging styles including doom metal, gothic rock, new wave and industrial music. Slow, Deep and Hard is a semi-autobiographical album with heavy amounts of black humor, based on a failed relationship in which the vocalist/bass guitarist Peter Steele was involved. In keeping with the band’s notable humor, the album’s cover artwork is a blurred image of sexual penetration. According to guitarist Kenny Hickey, Steele based a riff of “Gravitational Constant: G = 6.67 x 10 – 8 cm – 3 gm – 1 sec – 2” (later known as “Gravity”) from the theme song of the 1964 American sitcom The Munsters.

Needless to say I ordered it the first day pre ordering was available.

The Bearded Lady Lounge Chicago is the new bar on the block just under the Sheridan Red Line station. Max and I visited it 2x at the end of August.

THE DECOR IS PRICLESS.

The All New Wrigleyville North which has been gutted and rehabbed. Very very nice a block away from Bearded Lady. Who needs Holiday Club?

Spent Labor Day weekend in Stone City Iowa with Dale and his new bride Anne. It was the peace and quiet that I’ve been in dire need of.

Inside The General Store in Stone City a great place that I was finally happy to hang out at.

La Hacienda a wonderful Mexican Restaurant Dale took me to some years back. A must stop every visit.

The 46 OZ Monster Margarita only $9.99

I had 2 entrees, a huge margarita and a shot of Don Julio for $40. It would be 2x that in Chicago.

Anamosa State Penitentiary is a maximum security penitentiary prison located in the Jones County community of Anamosa, Iowa – approximately 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  From the outside, it looks like a castle. Made of bright white limestone, the Anamosa State Penitentiary appears regal. It’s nickname is the White Palace of the West.

The Anamosa State Penitentiary Museum is located just outside the penitentiary’s walls in a stone building that was formerly a barn and then a cheese-making facility for the prison. Exhibits include the history of the prison, the role of prison guards and the construction of the buildings. The museum is open seasonally and features a gift shop.

Notable inmates

• Jerry Lynn Burns, convicted killer of Michelle Martinko
• John Wayne Gacy, serial killer, served time here for sodomy with a minor in 1968-1970.
• Robert Hansen, serial killer, served time here for arson in the early 1960s.
• Shawn Bentler, mass murderer from Bonaparte, Iowa. He murdered his parents and three sisters, it was claimed, to inherit his family’s fortune.
• Chai Vang, mass murderer who shot and killed six people and injured two in Meteor, Wisconsin on November 21, 2004.

We took a 3.5 hour and most relaxing canoe trip of my life. Thanks to Dr. Anne Gard for booking it. Good friends know what I like. A lot like when Too Dark Mark took me to Avery Island on a visit to Baton Rouge a decade ago. Avery Island is the home of Tabasco sauce.

Wildlife abounds along this river and represents many of Iowa’s native species. Recreationalists along this river might be lucky enough to see a nesting pair of bald eagles performing a courtship ritual overhead or hear the pounding of a pileated woodpecker. Anyone willing to wet a line along the river will enjoy pulling walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, catfish, and suckers from hidden pools and riffles. A welcome wild place in our modernized world.

History is subtly evident as you travel the Maquoketa. Fossils of brachiopods and coral let us dream about a moment in time when Iowa was once covered by a shallow prehistoric sea. The steep bedrock walls inspire us to envision a period in Iowa’s history when rivers ran high and swollen as melt water made its way downstream from huge melting glaciers gouging deep valleys as they flowed. The sandy loess soil on the river’s bluff tops tells a tale of wind and erosion. Ornate box turtles still survive in this sandy loess and remind us of a drier time in Iowa’s history. Indian grass, little bluestem, shooting star, and wild bergamot cling to life on rocky outcrops, fallen boulders, and bluff tops reminding us that the face of Iowa was once covered by a tall and beautiful prairie ecosystem. Rock fishing weirs remind us that man was here too, hunting and living long before our circles began.

The amazing back yard of teh Bennett/Gard household. I love taking morning walks out back with the dewy grass between my toes on mornings before anyone else but the cats are still in bed,

The Catito built by Anne so the inside cats could feel outside. A catio is a cat enclosure or “cat patio” that provides feline safety and enrichment outdoors. Whether you have an indoor or outdoor cat, a catio can be the purrfect solution while you enjoy peace of mind knowing your cat is always safe. There are many benefits of catios including protecting birds and wildlife too.

The view of the yard from the indoor enclosed porch/patio.

My first concert since LA GUNS Nov 5 2019 will be with 2 legends that are also 2 of my biggest influences all the way back to my teen years,. Alice Cooper and Ace Frehley on Sept 24th. I scored a pretty good seat.

For those that don’t know my first ever published interview was with Ace Frehley back when I wrote for STAGE Magazine in Columbus OH

Alicia Witt will be back Sunday Oct 17 2021 at City Winery for a noon show. I’ve seen and met her 2X. This time I got 2 tix at a table at the front of the stage.

Singer-songwriter and actor Alicia Witt has been acting since the age of 7, when she made her film debut in David Lynch’s sci fi classic Dune. Most recently, Alicia was seen on the final season of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black as Zelda. Her other recent credits include roles in The Walking Dead, Supernatural, ABC’s Nashville, FOX’s The Exorcist, Netflix’s Disjointed(with Kathy Bates), Amazon’s Lore ,and Showtime’s 3rd season of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Films include Two Weeks’ Notice, Last Holiday, The Upside of Anger, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Urban Legend, Four Rooms, 88 Minutes, Urban Legend and Vanilla Sky. Other significant roles include Showtime’s House of Lies, NBC’s Friday Night Lights, CBS’ The Mentalist and NBC’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She spent 4 years on the CBS hit show Cybill and has also appeared on the HBO series The Sopranos, CBS’s Two and a Half Men, Ally McBeal, and David Lynch’s original Twin Peaks. Alicia will next be seen in I Care A Lot with Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage and Dianne Wiest, due out next year. Alicia is well known to Hallmark audiences for her annual Christmas movies, beginning with 2013’s A Very Merry Mixup; her eighth holiday film for the network, Christmas Love Song, was released for the 2019 Christmas season.

Alicia has performed her original piano-driven pop music all over the world, including at the renowned Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, where she lives.

Had the best harvest in years this summer. Partially because Dawn planted them and also that I was home every day to tend to them.

Hot cats take over my living room…again.

I treated Dale to Lucy’s in Uptown. I race about this place, he was unimpressed. 2 sandwiches and fries $30. That’s Chicago.

For my money still the best chicken sandwich ever despite the price.

ROAD TRIP: Chicago to Jackson MI with Dale

 Fuel 420 is a cannabis dispensary located in  Jackson, Michigan.

Much more spacious, welcoming and friendly than Chicago dispensaries.

Fuel 420 is located in Jackson, MI just a very short drive from the Page Ave. exit off the 127. Fuel 420 is dedicated to providing safe access in an endearing and welcoming environment. Any MMMP patients feel free to come in and hang out in their lobby, browse their selection and have any questions answered by their knowledgeable budtenders.

Fuel 420 is a legal licensed recreational and medical dispensary located in Jackson, MI. They only offer the highest quality cannabis products the State of Michigan has available. They carry everything from flowers to concentrates, edibles, topicals and much more. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff prides themselves on being very welcoming and are always standing by ready to serve and answer all of your questions

In Chicago I pay $40 for 100 mg of gummies for my insomnia. 100 mg is Michigan was $9.99 so I stocked up.

Everyone has a vivid and pleasant memory of where they went as a child to get their favorite candy-whether it was the local corner store, a five-and-dime store, or their Grandma’s candy dish. The Jackson Candy & Fudge Factory is a nostalgic re-creation of that classic and bygone era. 1522 East Michigan Avenue (Elm & Michigan)
Jackson, MI 49202

They sell the finest chocolates, mouthwatering fudges, old fashioned candies, lip smacking caramel corn, and frosted cinnamon nuts, what we really offer are memories. “I feel like a kid in a candy store!”, “I feel like I’ve stepped back in time”, and “I haven’t seen that since I was a kid!” are far and away the most common things we hear. And that is precisely our goal. They want to walk customers down memory lane and remind them of good things and good times.

We stocked up on sweets and then I went next door to DQ for a Dilly Bar.

New Chairs in the newly update living room after a week of reconstruction and repair.

Okay, I discovered this place opened at North and Clyborn and have been there 3 times in 2 weeks.

My old part time side kick Marcia Ove aka Sinderella Pussie of My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult on the MKULTRASOUND PodCast.

Harvest 2021 batch 2

Over the past 3 weeks work has been done on my flat where I’ve lived since 2007. The building is old and built before the 20th century, something I’ve always been fond of. Maybe I got that from my father. First they put a new door on my back porch which had been broken into so many times the door on July 4th fell to pieces. Then 4 days of labor on my living room wall. My living room home to 11 Andy Warhol prints. I had to removed almost everything from the walls and shelves. What I couldn’t move I had to cover due to dust from the sanding process. It took as long to take apart as it did to put it back together which I did as soon as the paint was dry.

We’re on day four of extremely high temps, humidity overkill and morning and evening thunderstorms. It’s been a helluva year for storms which we usually get more action in the spring.

I’ve been working a lot more than usual this summer. Working from home but its a lot of work. 2 Tuesdays ago I met Max, Adam and Brian at Birds Nest for wings at 7PM. It was nice but much too loud. There were also thunderstorm warnings which never happened that evening as predicted. Nothing new. It was so loud I could not hear my friends and frustrated left around 9 PM. The other downside was the prices due to the “chicken wing shortage”. I paid $37 for 20 wings. Now Birds Next is famously good but $1.85 per wing? Other than seeing my buds we had a great waitress named Chantel who was friendly and super attentive to our needs even as they got busier.

Last night August 10th we gathered for Adam Becvare’s birthday party and Taco Tuesday at Taco Lulu (  601 W Adams St, Chicago) which was the former home of Al’s Beef when I worked in the neighborhood for nearly 4 yrs. Brian was there as were Ronnie who I met on my birthday last December at Quaker Steak & Lube in Portage IN as well as Adam’s wife Mary. It was steaming hot when I left home and took the train to the west loop. I walked about 5 city blocks to my destination, sat with Adam and Ronnie at the bar, ordered a margarita and waited for the others. Adam rode his Triumph and there was a major storm on its way. as the 8 PM hour approached the radar showed it was now in the city. My plan was to order an Uber because of the storm forcast but Ronnie told me he’d drop me off at the train station. Big fucking mistake. As we got into his SUV the rain started to drench the city with fury and the lightning and thunder grew increasingly more violent. By the time I got to the station in was a torrential downpour and the sky was quite dramatic. I got to the Brown Line platform as the train approached. Perfect. Or so I thought. Got texts from Brian who had made it home to Pilsen and Adam who got home in the nick of time.

The conductor informed us that we’d be standing as debris was removed from the tracks ahead at Sedgewick. I got a CTA alert that the other train the Red Line which would get me home and which I’d have to do a Belmont Transfer closer to home also had debris on the tracks. All this within 10 minutes of the storm. Occasionally he’d come back on the intercom and mention he’d open the doors if anyone chose to seek alternate modes of transportation. After about half an hour I decided to seek out an Uber. But due to the storm and CTA shutting down the ride home would be nearly $50. A taxi would have run me $20 as would Uber if it wasn’t for the surge pricing they charge for such inconveniences. I was like “fuck that” and got back onto the train. Then it was an hour and I decided to go out in search of a taxi or a bus. Normally hailing a taxi in Chicago is very easy but since COVID and Uber monopolizing transportation I did not see one taxi. 5 blocks later I was at a bus stop at Hubbard and Clark to take the CTA 22 bus close to home. After another 15 minutes I was on an overcrowded city bus with wet and sweaty people. It was not ideal because if you know me you know I’ve become very claustrophobic and have been known to have panic attacks. But that wasn’t the worst part, I had to piss so badly that my back teeth were floating. Every time the bus hit a bump or pothole it shot pain to my bladder. By the time we got around Wrigley Field it had been a two hour commute from hell for yours truly.

I got off of the bus at Clark and Irving Park and started t walk home knowing I would not make it to my front door without pissing myself. Now mind you, I’ve seen many homeless and drunken frat types pissing in the streets and alleys. Across the street were many school busses and charter busses waiting to passenger from the Cubs game, so it as dark and raining outside so I thought WTF? I cross and what’s inside each bus but the driver. When I got the the last school bus there was no driver and a charter was in front of that bus. Without hesitation I had no choice but to free Willy!!! RELIEF! Plop plop fizz fizz oh what a relief it is.

It was 1030 by the time I arrived inside my home. Thus an over 2.5 hr commute home after a 2 hr dinner. But its all for my friend thus worth it. Adam drove to Quaker Steak and Lube and met me for my birthday along with Ronnie last December in Indiana.

Very cool and friendly layout at Taco Lulu

I ordered 1 ground been taco and 1 pastor (pork) Taco. Tasty. I’ll meet Adam there again one day.

Well I guess we jumped the gun going into the “new normal” with business back to 100 % capacity and no mask mandate for almost 2 months. Masks were still required for the CTA as well as Taxis and Uber/Lyft but other than that some people still wore masks due to the “fear” installed into them.

As I sew this long overdue writ together. Lollapalooza is open for the first of 4 days as the new and easier contracted Delta Variant is spiking. 3 counties in Illinois are already ordered by Gov. Pritzker that a mask mandate is in order and he is already shutting down restaurants. Mask mandates even if you have been fully vaccinated.

For myself I got to enjoy an EXXXOTICA weekend where you had to show proof of vaccination or pay $40 an onsite COVID test. It was a good time as always as I reunited with old friends and made new friends.

TBC

Vina Sky was one of the other performers I wanted to meet. She had very long lines for a Porn Hub girl. Other than her I was just hoping to see Tiny Texie, Alexis Texas (she was a no show) and see old friends.

Running into old friends was easy. After I saw Texie Ricky Rich called me over where he was with the clown fetish model BJ MCNAUGHTY. The pic above is with Adrian who I hadn’t seen in 3 yrs and Curtis an adult entertainment photographer I met in Las Vegas. I met Adrian at GlamourCon in 2004

Ember Snow is a petite Asian pornstar with Philippine origins. At only 5’ tall and 94 pounds.

It was a pleasure to meet with the legend, Herschel Savage an American former pornographic actor, director and stage actor who has appeared in over 1,000 adult films. In 2002, AVN ranked him 46th on their list of The Top 50 Porn Stars of All Time. He has also been inducted into the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame.

We had something to discuss being that he’s good friends with Adam Glasser aka Seymour Butts, They are great friends and I was on Family Business Adams SHOWTIME series back in 2005.

Stormy Daniels who I met in Las Vegas either 2004 or 2005 at the Adult Video Awards Expo. She’s in New Orleans these days. She gave me a signed Spooky Girls candle and ski cap.

From AVN AEE when I first met Stormy either 04 or 05

And here’s Tiny Texie who I met in 2018 and we became good friends. She came on the show in 2019. She sent me home with a goody bag.

This adult entertainer, model, dancer, and social media influencer. She was born on 25 January 1992. Tiny is known for her unusually small stature of 3 feet and 6 inches. Lovers of adult movies know her quite well for her roles in the midget category. She has however spread her tentacles far beyond adult entertainment. The 29-year-old mother of one has carved a niche for herself as a social media influencer and entertainer. This accounts for a huge chunk of her popularity on the internet as she boasts millions of followers and interactions across her social media platforms.

Vina Sky

Ray Ray a performer from Columbus OH

BJ McNaughty

My favorites the girls from Arizona. Jason and I met them at the bar inside Embassy Suites where he had a room and let me stay the night before coming to my place to do a podcast the next day. Lissa Mireya is on the right (my left) and I really liked the Faruiza Balk vibe I got from her. We made a few other friends at the bar including a very very cool pilot named John.

Lissa gave me this stone. It’s brought some good luck and I put it with my “witchy” stuff at home.

My man Jason Kenski a loyal listener to the MKULTRASOUND PodCast and frequent call in guest. He was live in person on the show with Matthew Clark and Emily Sifrit. I met Jason at EXXXOTICA 2019 and have been friends ever since. He’s a music lover from Sterling Heights MI and works for the USPS. He was also in the Southern Bukkake series directed by Mike South.

Cookout at home for guests of the podcast. Cassie and her bf Scotty were here to film. Cassie’s first time back here behind camera in a year.

Monday morning breakfast at El Palmar.

Bob Hoeksema took these pix of the moon July 2021. Thanks Newbomb.

Michelle who I met at EXXXOTIOCA nd became friends with, This is one week later in Evanston for Taco Diablo! Then a week later she’d guest on teh podcast along with Larry Goone (Born A Babe and Chicago SexCon)

Typical of the Northshore Champagne Socialist. Gender Free Restroom.

We ended up eating at Tac Quick because of the noise level of people talking at Taco Diablo.

Martinis at Casa Diablo late late at night.

I’ve been working a lot more than usual this summer. Working from home but its a lot of work. 2 Tuesdays ago I met Max, Adam and Brian at Birds Nest for wings at 7PM. It was nice but much too loud. There were also thunderstorm warnings which never happened that evening as predicted. Nothing new. It was so loud I could not hear my friends and frustrated left around 9 PM. The other downside was the prices due to the “chicken wing shortage”. I paid $37 for 20 wings. Now Birds Next is famously good but $1.85 per wing? Other than seeing my buds we had a great waitress named Chantel who was friendly and super attentive to our needs even as they got busier.

$37 for 20 wings

My first harvest of 2021

As if the wings the previous Tuesday didn’t hit the spot. Wingstop has introduced Thighstop for the wing shortage. AND I LED THEM!!!

Prepping for the PodCast Sunday August first.

This is where I met Larry and Bruce before the PodCast, Peace Garden in Buena Park

After the show Michelle hung around and took these shots.

Friday it was fucking 92 degrees hot and I had been feeling horrible w/ allergies all week. Thursday it felt like I had a cactus in my throat. I woke up Friday listening to the morning news and they warned about “air quality index” and I closed my windows and put the AC on again. I also cancelled my after work dinner plans w/ Max. AQI never meant a thing to me till Friday and then I googled it:

Poor indoor air quality can cause a stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing or wheezing, headache, burning eyes, or skin rash. People with asthma or other breathing problems or who have allergies may have severe reactions.

Then I realized my dilemma. Due to allergies and lack of sleep my work productivity suffered and I hate falling back on excuses like my allergies are so bad I can’t speak. Which is often true.

Saturday morning I was up and out early. Had to bike to the local Walmart Neighborhood Market to pick up my sleep meds at the pharmacy. After I biked up the lakefront trail to Peace Park and came home to wash the sweat off of myself. At 8 AM it was already 80 degrees. As I was preparing to head back out I felt a cool breeze on the back deck and then it started getting dark. For about an hour I sat outside and watched the rain and lightning and listened to the roaring thunder. It was short lived and I wasted no time in getting back out.

This time I went to Lincoln Square to shop at Gene’s Sausage Shop and Delicatessen. I wanted to pick up some good in house made bratwurst for the upcoming July 4 holiday. It took literally no time and then I ordered 2 cabbage rolls and some sliced Dill Havarti and Habanero Havarti cheese.

In March of 1972, two young immigrant brothers from a small farm village in Malopolskie, Poland, John and Gene Luszcz, opened a small neighborhood deli specializing in homemade smoked sausage and other Polish delicacies. Drawing upon their family’s sausage-making recipes and smoking techniques, John & Gene’s on West Roscoe Street, gained almost instant popularity and a loyal clientele catering to the largely Polish Chicago neighborhood anchored by St. Ladislaus church. For 8 successful years John and Gene personally served and greeted hungry customers providing a taste of “home” to the local community.

In 1980, in need of additional space, the store moved to nearby Belmont Avenue where it operates today as Gene’s Sausage Shop & Deli. Gene’s famous life-size sculpture of a cow which dominates the outdoor sign welcomes Gene’s Sausage Shop customers to its 20,000 square feet of 40 types of smoked sausages, fresh meats, prepared foods and European imported specialties. The artisan handmade sausages are made fresh on-premise every day by traditional sausage-makers from Europe, and fresh meat is served up the old-fashion way, cut straight out of the meat cooler by trained butchers. Gene and his wife, Alice, have gained national media attention for their delicatessen and have been featured on the Frugal Gourmet Show, 190 North, Taste, Fox News and numerous publications.

2009 marks Gene’s Sausage Shop’s 37th Anniversary as well as the beginning of a new chapter in its history. A second full range European market opened September, 2009 in Chicago’s Lincoln Square area occupying the old space of Delicatessen Meyer, a 53 year German-American institution which closed in 2007.

Halfway between the sausage shop and home there is a Culvers which delayed opening till after COVID finally came to an end a week ago so I went since I needed to eat. It’s hard for me to eat in the heat and even harder when it hurts to swallow food or even water. My throat was raw. It’s a nice big restaurant with a massive dining room and everyone was nice.