i have started a new world wide website. feel free to check it out here.

reading: half magic by edward eager
listening to: still jack johnson; i boogied to derek webb and the darkness yesterday
watching: jay and silent bob strike back
world-wide-webbing: ebay and half .coms, doing some christmas shopping

"oh, are they?"

it was a dark and rainy night. the rain had mostly stopped, but the roads were a bit wet. i was so very tired. i was so tired, in fact, that i fell asleep while driving.

i woke up in the middle of an intersection. the car had been flipped, and there was glass in my face; lots of glass in my face. well, it felt like "lots", anyway. it was so cold when i crawled out of the car, that i was more concerned with getting a blanket than calling an ambulance. in fact, i did neither. someone else (most likely many someone elses) called emergency, and i did not get a blanket until i was in the ambulance. ironic, huh? if i had asked for an ambulance first, i could have killed both birds with a single, smooth stone.

this was 330am last friday morning; a week ago. i am still sore in my right shoulder, but i have also not taken any pain killer. i was given codone, but wanted to be macho. i have taken less than 10 ibuprofen since coming home from the hospital about 6 hours after the wreck. the 8 sutures in my face were removed last night.

i guess that is all of the news. it has been a frustrating week because my body has not allowed me to be as active as i either usually am or wanted to be this week. i have yet to see the third and final movie in the lotr trilogy, and THAT, dear readers, is a trag- um, travi- trad?... negative thing.

on a slightly happier note, there is a friend whom i only know through the web. i have never met said friend in person, but they live in orlando's metro area. it is my new mission to hang out with them. i have offered before, but they are wary of internet friends. i ask you however; how could anyone be wary of me? i rest my case. this mission will be accomplished, even if it takes 15 years.

i should be on here before "the big day", but channukah does begin at sundown, roughly 5 hours away in this city. in other words, happy channukah. that is what i was trying to say.

lastly, commenting is next to cleanliness and godliness.

i love sitting here... in the middle of my mother's classroom surrounded by second-graders. i love days like this one... when the kids are scurrying across the floor, doing errands for their teacher; my mom. chris is straightening quilts on the reading chair. he wants it to be just right, you know, lest he displease his teacher in any way. precious, these little ones.

i am well. i am enveloped in creative focus... writing, reading, working on a character for a play later this month, forming travel plans.

things do not always go well; often they go south of the way we might expect/want/hope/demand they go. go north, young man. phone calls with friends who live all over make me laugh(not always because something is funny) and cry(not always because something is sad). it's not bad, really. it is just life and love... and other mysteries. (hehe, i couldn't resist.) love includes the giggles and the tears, and before you go youth camp on me, i do not only mean romantic love.

i am working on a play, for a play-reading later this month, about a russian poet/soldier named mikhail lermontov. i read the part of lermontov, and the soul of the play is so very shrouded and scarred from life's suckerpunches and switchblades. come to orlando and see it on 21 december. the playwright is directing, and on saturday, our first rehearsal, he told me, "ben, you are just about there; very close." wow. i want this character to have the heart this man gave it. it is up to me to bring that heart to the surface, if slowly. i love to act.

momma murph is reading to the children now, as they sit on the story rug... why christmas trees aren't perfect... a tale about how outward appearances do not dictate what the inside holds. a good thing for us all to hear.

i am going to dunkin donuts now, for coffee and a bagel. maybe the newspaper, too.

"baby, close your eyes
to the lullabies
of the news... tonight"

i like jack johnson. bye.

hey, kids! it's me!!
i bet you thought that i was dead
but when i fell down i only broke my leg
and got a hemmorage in my head!

i am not sure if i owe anyone an apology, but i am so glad that people still visit here. thank you for caring.

the rumors are true:
1. i no longer have "personal" internet access. i have to visit offices and homes of friends and family to use the internet. i am sitting in an elementary school classroom right now.
2. i have shaved my head again; to the skull.
3. i like fruits and vegetables more than candy and sweets.

an update? i am still here, working and putting off my dreams. i would love to move out of my mom's house. my car caught on fire the other day, so i am borrowing cars, too. if i start borrowing underwear we can consider it a code red situation, i reckon.

i am writing a lot, and i think i want to start reviewing on this site a bit more; movies, albums, books. we'll see how often i can get on to do that.

call me. i am not as bad as you think about returning phone calls. i am worse. bye.

a new look... we lost the chatterbox and some links, but we will forge ahead, yes? there are some new links, too, that could be fun.

see you soon.

stop the presses... except for this press.

the return of the barry from the lost files of mrs. world wide web has nearly floored me. everyone who visits this site, by the way, should visit the barry's site (located on the left of your screen as the second friend listing) and check out what he has to offer the internet community. this man turns whatever he touches into gold. he is an amazing singer and photographer, and he has good hair. don't we all wish the same could be said for us.

p.s. barry, are you still using the number that i called you on in july?

apart from news about the barry, i have a new band for everyone to check out. go to the website for hair of the dog, an american band that plays irish music. they are based in delmar, new york. listen and enjoy. see ya.

ideas are flying towards me like the orlando lovebugs do in september!! stay tuned.

she doesn’t drink booze
and she doesn’t have sex
she doesn’t listen to rock and roll
or generation x

some of her reasons
you might be able to guess
but you couldn’t guess all of them
even if you guessed your best

oo-ooo… guessed your best
oo-ooo… you’ll never guess

one more thing*
maybe we spoke too soon*
cause when she hears three dog night
she howls at the moon

same goes for creedence
and when the water’s clear
she revives a spot of floor
to dance away her fears

oo-ooo… can you feel her dancing
oo-ooo… there go her fears… hey fears, bye-bye

and he left her
without a prayer
this damage
he doesn’t dare to repair

(who should she pray to?)

[4-measure melodic cry]

like two passing dogs in the night
they sniffed each other and fell in love
for the very first
the very second time
in their lives

© 2003 all words and music by benjamin murphy

megoizzy: so ben is totally gung ho about ireland
megoizzy: i called him today
megoizzy: and he was standing in the travel section of borders looking at ireland books
megoizzy: lol
acousticjoe13: hahahahaha
megoizzy: i'm like "where are you???" cause he sounded kind of weird
megoizzy: truthfully, he sounded stoned
acousticjoe13: that man lives in borders
megoizzy: he's like "i'm in borders. in the travel section"
megoizzy: i know
megoizzy: lol
megoizzy: well yeah, i've told you
megoizzy: so anyway. yeah. i'm like "what are you looking at?" and he's like "can you guess"
megoizzy: hahah
acousticjoe13: hahaha
acousticjoe13: he should just stand in borders holding up books... like a cardboard standee
megoizzy: lol
megoizzy: if he had hair, they could put a fan on him and make him wear silk robes
acousticjoe13: and he could be like "no man, you shouldn't buy that"
megoizzy: and then he would look like a celine dion cardboard standup
acousticjoe13: hahahaha!
megoizzy: or like, someone wanders over toward the jlo spread and he doesn't move, just whispers "don't do it"
acousticjoe13: HAHA! "PLEASE STEP AWAY FROM THE CHER SECTION"
megoizzy: lol
megoizzy: !!!! that is hysterical
acousticjoe13: "PLEASE DISPURSE, THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE HERE"
megoizzy: "GO ON ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS"
acousticjoe13: LOL
megoizzy: heheheheh
acousticjoe13: every once in a while he'll just yell out "dar williams!"
megoizzy: lol
megoizzy: or ya know "BEN FOLDS LIVE. UNCENSORED"
acousticjoe13: lol... "AHAHAHAHA, ben murphy is funnny....*snore*"
megoizzy: hehehehehehehehehehehe
megoizzy: *falls face first into the oprah book of the month display"
megoizzy: "BEN HARPER!"
acousticjoe13: hahahaha!!!!
megoizzy: heheh
acousticjoe13: the coffee bar part of borders would be called "the little narcoleptic bean"
acousticjoe13: and for some reason, the would serve white russians only
megoizzy: heheheh
megoizzy: and they would have a photo out front
megoizzy: of ben smiling, only he would be smiling in that kind of maniacal "i'm having a photo taken so i look freaky" ben sort of way
acousticjoe13: LOL!
megoizzy: heh
acousticjoe13: he'd be sitting backwards in a car
megoizzy: AHAHAH!!!
megoizzy: holding up some kind of sponge bob paraphanalia
megoizzy: and the photo would actually be one of those billboards that changes like a hologram or whatever
megoizzy: so if you walk around, it goes from ben smiling with the spongebob paraphanalia to ben asleep with his head on his chest
acousticjoe13: hahahaha! and when people walk by, a recording would say... "so... um,.... like, where are you from..... wow.... so.... um, tell me..... like...... is it cool there"
megoizzy: heheheheheheh
megoizzy: or "wow.... yeah... wow, that rocks. that is cool. yeah, so, tell me, so are you, is, what is your name?"
acousticjoe13: HAHAHA!
acousticjoe13: i would love to see ben dress like a truck driver... like the movie ben murphy... how surreal would that be ..lol
megoizzy: yeah except that was like a 70s groovy truck driver
megoizzy: he would have to grow out a mullet, and that terrifies me
acousticjoe13: he could wear a wig... and he has to start calling everyone "turkeys"
megoizzy: lol
megoizzy: and saying phrases like "holy macarole!"
acousticjoe13: hahahaha! "these glasses are still dirty"
megoizzy: heheheheheh
megoizzy: but the twist would be
megoizzy: everytime he got into a high speed truck chase
acousticjoe13: "give it the ol college try sam"
megoizzy: or his brakes went out on a big hill
megoizzy: he would fall asleep in the middle of it
acousticjoe13: HAHAHA!
megoizzy: and awake in just enough time to save the day
acousticjoe13: i. must. make. that. movie!
megoizzy: *snore* bus careening down hill *snore* helicopter following "what's he doing ? what's he doing?" girl in back of truck "please don't make me explode!" *snore* truck heading for sharp curve *cut to commercial* *snore* cue scary music * girl in back screams* "What in god's name is HE DOING???" *snore huge gasp of air "huh? AHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech* truck comes to stop* ben gets out, his wig flowing in the breeze, he opens the back doors and kisses the girl* roll credits
acousticjoe13: HAHAHAHAHA!
acousticjoe13: don't forget about the patent papers
acousticjoe13: lol
megoizzy: oh right
acousticjoe13: "sam, my patent papers are on a slight incline"
megoizzy: *pulls patent papers out of right rear jeans pocket where we see a decent glimpse of his panty line* "knew it was there all along!" *cue laughter* roll credits
acousticjoe13: lol... and there will be a credit for "the elusive robert denby played by- marlon brando" .... but we'll never see him in the movie
megoizzy: AHAHAHA