  ...is next year's VMA winner. The Pretty Weapons CD (self-titled, Uprising Records) is now officially finished and RELEASED!!! The guys need to recoup expenses for recording, etc...so if you are a fan of rock, The Pretty Weapons, or even a friend of ME, please buy one.
If you're interested, leave your comment here or call/email/IM and I'll make sure the transacation goes down smoothly. You can listen to snippets urlLink here . Another benefit (for my NYC BFF's) is that when they play Arlene's Grocery in less than one month's time on July 16th, you will be the hipster that knows the songs already. How very Rock and Roll of you. And now, for Beth: Beth, you are awarded 40 bonus points for a very close attempt at "Montani Semper Liberi.
" Montani Semper Liberi translates "Mountaineers are always free", and is the West Virginia state motto. (Probably because the state was founded after breaking apart from the then-confederate commonwealth of Virginia during the Civil War. ) However, I would never have known about the phrase unless I had become a regular at West Virginia's premier 24-hour truck stop, The Mountaineer Family Restaurant, or the Mountaineer for short, or "the 'neer" for shortest. The Mountaineer is a magical place where french toast is made from italian garlic bread, and the Ribette sandwich is not just a seasonal tease the way it is at McDonald's. It has now been my favorite hang-out for almot a decade. I miss it. I miss it's blue-and-gold paper placemats featuring a map of the state with helpful facts like "state bird" and "state flower", and featuring towns I did not know existed, like "Romney.
" THAT is where I learned of "Montani Semper Liberi" and where it's truth first struck deep into my heart. And Randy Surface's heart. And Ben Scragg's heart...and Matt's heart. And pretty much everyone's heart I know from the Mid-Ohio Valley. Someday I will take you there, Beth. And the Mountain Dew will flow like Milk and Honey. Also, I really enjoyed you note at AE.
The incredible amount of hearts were great, as well as the phrase "when I'm feeling (drawing of a handgun), you make me feel (drawing of a heart..) Aww, BFF's. Off to NOT THE FREAKING FREE JOHN MAYER CONCERT. My life is ruined. 
