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So Scott Weiland has died. He was a longtime mess, it's true, but it's still sad. I always thought Stone Temple Pilots didn't quite get the respect they deserved -- they had to work hard to shake their "Pearl Jam knock-off" stigma, but they did so admirably. Their Purple album was perfection, and entirely theirs. STP set the backdrop to some of my best memories in high school and college. It's been a sad couple of weeks out in the world, and when that happens I tend to need to belt out a song or two. So I recorded Plush on my iPhone this morning. It isn't their best song (I'd vote Interstate Love Song) but it's certainly the first one that comes to mind when you think of STP. Virtually anyone who learned guitar in the early to mid-90s knows how to play it. Anyway, here you go -- enjoy. RIP Mr. Weiland.

Was it really 10 years ago when the levies broke, when Hurricane Katrina flooded and drowned so much of New Orleans? I can still remember the horrifying images and footage, the desperation and suffering, and the history of injustice and unrest laid bare for all the world to see.  This song came to me almost all at once during a meeting at work, weirdly enough. (I'm terrible at paying attention to work meetings. God, they're the worst, aren't they?) I scrambled to write it all down when I got back to my computer.  Weirder still, I got an out-of-the-blue email from a friend of mine literally minutes afterward -- the only person I knew or know who actually grew up in New Orleans. She helped me finish it with some desperately needed authenticity and sensitivity.  It's an optimistic song at heart, and we've since revisited the Big Easy for an incredible time at Jazz Fest in 2009 . But New Orleans is still  very much in the process of an uneven redemption...

As you may know, I've dabbled in some home improvement  and DIY projects over the years -- like redoing our 1970s-era kitchen before our daughter was born. I've also been writing for the Boston Globe's Sunday real estate section a bit lately. And I've always been obsessed with houses and architecture. All this made me realize I should start a blog about that stuff -- so that's what I did! If you get a chance, check out House & Hammer, my new blog about real estate and DIY home improvement . As the name implies, it's partly about houses -- think  home ownership , home equity loans , and dream-house caliber "wish listings. " And then it's also about home improvement and DIY projects , like how to build this rustic end table built from reclaimed wood : So tell your friends! Tell your neighbors! And tell me what you think!

Bill Murray's character in the movie "What About Bob?" explains his divorce by saying, "There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don't. My ex-wife loves him." Whether it's true or not, I'd argue that if you don't like Neil Diamond, either: a) you don't know what you're missing, b) you didn't party much in college, or c) his unbridled and unapologetic emotionalism makes you uncomfortable. All of which are understandable. Just don't discredit the man's songwriting chops, because he's one of the finest of our times. Anyway, my best friend Adam and I went to see Neil play the Boston Garden last night for an astounding 11 bucks each -- I mean, that's almost criminal -- and it was, as I kept telling the missus this morning, transcendent . Amazing. He even played a series of songs from his 1972 "Hot August Night" live album, every fan's favorite, just...

Well I'll be damned. The snow -- All. That. SNOW! -- is finally, slowly, mercifully melting. The Red Sox are playing baseball. And I've got a gig on St. Patrick's Day! Tuesday, March 17th Lucky's Lounge 355 Congress St. (corner of A Street, no sign) Boston, MA 02210 5:30pm-7:30pm / No cover Could it be... spring? With the sun and the grass and all that? Even if it's not here yet, I'm at least starting to think it may actually arrive someday, which is a major improvement from my outlook a month ago. Does this mean it won't snow again this season? No. Does it mean the Red Sox will be any good? Not necessarily, though I have my hopes. Does it mean I remember how to play all those Irish songs? God, I hope so.  The bigger struggle will be my old-man wrists. After 20 some-odd years of playing guitar, probably with bad technique, my left wrist aches even on a good day. After shoveling, I don't know, maybe three tons of snow every single...