It's been a busy time for me since my last post, including some scraping of my eyeballs, some choice Black Sabbath, and a gay Goth drug dealer with a penchant for pig masks! Where do I start? How about the begining?

Well...I haven't seen an audience clearly in about 8 years, so when the AXIS Eye Insititute contacted me about a new procedure called ACC (Advanced Custom Cornea) I was interested. A few weeks later, and my eyeballs have been firmly held in place and zapped with a laser!! Not a completely painless surgery, I am currently in a healing process, and my vision is slowly getting better. I notice small improvements every day.

I also just completed shooting my small part in a new movie called Actor. I have never thought of acting before, and trust me, Al Pacino has nothing to worry about! But it was a really fun experience, and I really want to do more now (I definately have the bug!). I play a gay drug dealer (hmmm...) who has a fascination with pig masks. Quite a dark, scary guy, who treats his customers with a lot of respect. It was so much fun to shoot, and the director and cast seemed really happy with my first attempt at the Thespian Life!

One plane ride later and I am typing this from my hotel room in Boston, as I join the 2005 Ozzfest for a couple of weeks. Not playing, not working, I'm calling this a rock vacation! I have a lot of friends on this tour, so when I got the invitation to hang out for a while, it was a no-brainer. Let me see - should I go watch Black Sabbath every night? Last night was the first show, and it was fucking awesome. Bill Ward is still an animal behind the kit, Geezer's bass still makes my bowels feel like they are in a blender, Tony Iommi's guitar is still the most detuned, dark and dangerous thing in rock and roll, and Ozzy really was The Prince Of Darkness. I could see how this band scared the crap out of everyone in the '70s! Ozzy sounded fantastic and it was an honor to be on the side of the stage while the original and best rock band in the world did their thing.

Today is a day off, and I might try to see the new Charlie And The Chocolate Factory .... if I feel brave enough to go on opening day. I will also FOR SURE be going to Borders to pick up the new Harry Potter book. I might even dress up like Sirius Black!! I have the news on as I type this, and its madness out there - the book is selling millions in its first 24 hours. Good for J.K. Rowling, I say.

Due to the hotel life for the next couple of weeks, I am sure I'll get plenty of time to post more often, so I'll try and get some details about Tony's guitar set up from his techs (it is a guitar site, after all!). Everyone knows it's all Gibson SGs with that guy, but I'll see if I can uncover some details about that amazingly heavy sound. Not a lot else to tell right now - Camp Freddy played a fun show in San Francisco a week or so ago, and are planning a show in August in LA. The pic is from Frisco and is of Jerry Cantrell, Chris Chaney, Brandon Boyd and myself, playing Whole Lotta Love. And I have been busy writing lyrics for a project that I am involved in (yep - I will actually be singing so get yer ear plugs ready!!) For now, it's time for a gallon of coffee and some cigarettes. Ah, the little things in life bring me so much joy!

Have fun, hope you are all enjoying my meaningless blather, and I will be back soon. Till then -

Peace

Billy