It all started back in the summer of '96. Two people untouched by the assimilative grasp of society. As much as they had in common they were still uniquely different. Jeff was about 12 and Lex was 13. They met in school, a place that I the writer will refer to as "Santostone." Their class was Room 101, now an irony of sorts due to the fact that they would learn a great deal there, but in a classical JL way.

Although it was a learning experience, they both were great teachers. So intelligent they are that they have always been harrassed for it. It was an intelligence so vast that not even they could comprehend it. Lex listened to bands like "Mechanical Rabbits" and "Fogelberg Esquire." Jeff was a big fan of "Tom Sawyer" and "The Cleveland Steamers." They both liked the other's musical interests, but still preferred their own stuff. Although this would never hinder their friendship.

Both were young of body and mind, they cherished being young and crazy. They had collaborated on many songs as well as other works of literature. They created mass havoc in school as well. And by the end of the year the teachers at Santostone had enough of it. The people at the school thought that if they could create order, they must disband the chaos. They separated Jeff and Lex the following year. But JL (not to be confused with J. Lo) had a long journey ahead of them. No one, not even they, knew how much of a trip this would be.

During the summer they hung out often. They got rather close and smoked a lot of weed. They got to know each other very well, even to the point of being able to know exactly what the other was thinking. Neither of them knew what it was like to have this level of friendship. It was so unique to them and at the same time kind of trippy. It was so Trippy, in fact, that they could predict what the other was going to say without looking up from the blunt...so to speak. It was what took place most of this summer that would lay down the foundation of what they were about. Yet at the same time they continued to grow in so many different ways. The dreams that they had shared for all those years would later open up in ways they never would have expected.

Aside from that, the teachers thought the next school year that there would be no problems. While Lex calmed down a bit more, he was often sick and out of school. Jeff, on the other hand, had started to act up more, creating more trouble and chaos than the year prior. Clearly the teachers were surprised by this and simultaneously dismayed. Although the school still blamed Jeff's behavior on Lex because he was older. That was a lame-ass excuse and it only pissed them off more. Jeff would act out and destroy school property because of the lies, Lex would usually be home and would write about his feelings.

But this story wasn't supposed to be about them. It was a device. A device for TB. Tom & Bob. Tuberculosis. Or at least how we view ourselves.


So what's the point of this trip down memory lane? Well, to you out there, the person pondering what we mean half the time, this was a short lil something to help bring you closer to our way of thinking and viewing things. While it doesn't give a lot about what we did, it was more or less a general over view. Sort of like the calm before the storm because as time goes on we are progressing more and more. TB is just starting a life in "the big world." As those dumbass teachers used to say. "You can't act like clowns in the real world." "You can't do what you're doing now in the real world, no one is going to get it." But does it matter if you get it? Maybe not, but maybe there is someone out there who thinks that life is shit and they are all alone. I just want to try and reach out to people and say, "Life sucks and no matter what happens, you're not in this fight alone." You need to take a stand for what you believe in and fuck what other people think or say. There's not enough people out there that will do what they want because they are afraid of the dreaded robot known as society. Well, whether society wants us or not, we are coming and we'll be coming in a style that only TB can produce. And thanks to you, the fans, we can achieve our goal and make this world a little more free. Thanks everyone!

In closing, I would like to give mad props to Psycho Jeff and Professor Lex Sativa for serving as living, breathing metaphors for what Bob and I are all about. And here's reminding you all to write in with your letters and lingerie. Peace out

a battle hymm by Bob Freville

The prospects we'll win
Are ever so slim,
But we can try with all of our might
To "right" was is wrong
And triumph so strong
Before putting the war to respite.
Cuz We firmly believe
That we'll settle peeves
That were born of a conflict of interest.
Each side comes out
with violence and doubt
And life is left within inches,
Of death or disease,
Genocide or reprieve.
We always end it the same.
Blood will be shed
And the young end up dead.
But they died in the name of...a cause?