I've been living here in West Chester now for six months and it's been alright. A transition after living in cities for so long, but a good one. I've heard this town described as the Athen's of Pennsylvania, but I don't know if I'd go that far. I just haven't seen enough of the state I guess.

What I thought I'd miss about living in cities is the random, odd, weirdos I'd see on the streets. Lucky for me though, although I don't see them as often as I did while living in urban environments, they are here.

I was walking to the Rite Aid on Gay street yesterday when some dude who was loading a pickup truck, dressed in matching blue camo pants and t-shirt and headband stopped me. He asked me if I had any girls, or knew where any were. Let me be the first to tell you, I am not, nor have never been a pimp. So, I had to say no.

After walking away, I started thinking about one other odd moment I've had here. I was driving to a soccer game and was sitting at the stop sign at Biddle and High Streets. As I crossed high street, some man started throwing pieces of bread at my car. He then seemed a bit angry as I drove away. I thought it was funny. Odd, but funny.

There are other weird, strangers I've met and I'm sure there will be more but those are two that have stuck with me since moving here. Who knows what will happen tomorrow.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ..... the sounds of summer. Well, we're only half way through the summer and I'm sick of the sound of the ice cream truck. The Dairy Queen commercial isn't helping either. It's been the same song for god only knows how long.

Had the good fortune of catching REM and Modest Mouse at The Mann last night. I'm a Modest Mouse fan -- going back to my high school days before the radio play. It's been great seeing the band grow and now to include Johnny Marr is awesome to see live. But at The Mann, it's hard to get in to. I prefer to see them at the Electric Factory and I wish I could get the chance to see them at the Trocadero again. But the odds are pretty slim.

I went to see REM. The first album I ever bought with my own money was "Document" back in elementary school. But I never really got to see them play live. I saw them at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in D.C. in the 90s but it wasn't the same. So I was really excited to see what they would be like on their own. They didn't disappoint.

The two-hour set covered just about every album they've released and I really like the new material. As does just about every one else that writes entertainment. I don't write entertainment, just enjoy being entertained.

I like watching people leave before the encore because they have to beat the traffic. You've spent money, watched music for hours and leave 20 minutes early to get home 20 minutes earlier? Doesn't make sense to me.

And I hope all the people that left early read about the encore REM performed. Johnny Marr joined them on stage for two songs ("Fall on Me" and "Man on the Moon.") But before that, Eddie Veddar (Pearl Jam just happens to be playing in Camden tonight) joined the band on stage for "Begin the Begin."

I went to out of curiosity. When I left I'd say it's in the top five I've ever seen.

had the weird fortune of getting to put the horoscopes on the page last week...gasp, i'm not holiday mathis and someone has to do it. since the person that usually does was on vacation, i got the gig. weird thing happened one day...other than realizing how far into my future i could see...i had to fix a typo in the horoscopes. the good people with holiday mathis sent out a fax. how do you get horoscopes wrong? they aren't grounded in fact. they're on the entertainment page. and none of mine played out.

I know it's been awhile since I've posted here. So, today, I'll admit, I can't stand Rachel Ray. Some might like her, some not, others probably don't read this. But there it is.