Bouncing around in my head!

2010-06-04T11:13:00.004-05:00

Hello. If there is anyone out there who still checks this blog once in awhile, I'm back. At least for today. I have been doing other writing which is draining the reservoir of my mind...which is not that deep to begin with. None of the other writing heightens my awareness like this blog. The writing here is less inhibited since there are very few, if any, readers. It is writing for my sake.

Lately I've thought about doing things simply to "write" another chapter in my life. Wouldn't it be cool to do something way outside of the norm? Something that makes people gasp! To steal a line from a Chuck Prophet song, "...let's do something wrong, let's do something stupid, something we'll regret tonight, anything but the same ol' nonsense..." Doesn't that sound fun! We all become conditioned to behave a certain way. Our parents started erasing the magic from our souls when were very young. Then our teachers, our bosses, our clients, our spouses, our friends, even ourselves continued to cover our free spirit. It's sad when you think about it. It may be hidden, but never eliminated. The spirit remains in us.

I've lived a rather precarious life by many standards. I look at some of my friends and I think, "How do they stand living in that narrow-minded maze they call life?" Maybe I've spent so much time close enough to the edge that I see the possibilities of letting go. What am I capable of? How high could I soar if the shackles are unlocked? Do I have the keys? I think of Edgar Allen Poe, Michelangelo, Hemingway, Twain and Disney. Those guys were out there. People of their times thought they were crazy! Is making every attempt to reach your true self crazy?

I want to be crazy.

2010-03-30T16:12:00.004-05:00

Hello. Pressure is one of the best motivators. As one of my buddies says, "If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done." Some people thrive in these situations and others fail miserably. I think it's hard to be successful without a certain amount of planning. However, I do find being pushed into the fire a good way to glow! Sometimes without a little urgency, good ideas are lost in the fear of the unknown.

I have jumped into the fire many times. I've also been burned. But generally things work out. I think people should follow their dreams. Over the years I've listened to many people talk about great ideas and plans, only to watch them drift away on a raft of fear. Human nature keeps us from taking risks. Taking a risk makes you feel alive! It is boring to live in the security of mediocrity. I think we should all make at least one leap of faith in our lives. Fill your life with some fear, some promise, some hope. Nothing big will ever happen if we don't put ourselves in a position to be rewarded.

I'm ready to leap...I'm bored.

2010-03-26T16:15:00.004-05:00

Hello. Friday, warm weather...did I mention Friday. It's a good day. Spring is a time for change. The grass changes, the trees change, the birds change...a great time for us to change as well. The idea of change is exciting! Change by nature is good for the soul. Our participation in life becomes more interesting...more meaningful. The more things stay the same, the more uncomfortable I am. I feel good about the changes ahead, and I don't even know exactly what those changes are. I have a calm, feeling of anticipation lately. Things will be good.

A friend of mine and his wife are planning the most life change that I have ever heard of. They are moving to the wilds of Alaska. Fifty miles north of Fairbanks. No running water, sewer, roads, natural gas, phones...people. This is far more than I would ever commit to. We have come too far for me to step that far back in time. They are happy...which is cool!

Have you been reading some of the negative statements lately by the anti-health care reform people? These lunatics are scary. They are making some of the most unbelievable statements. I can't disprove the comments, but common sense tells me they must be wrong.

Peace

2010-02-19T11:44:00.003-06:00

Hello. The other night I was confronted by one of my brothers from the pond of RATSO. He made this comment during a club "gathering" with most of the pond scum present. He pointed out that I had been accepted into the club without meeting all of the financial requirements. This apparently has been bothering him for a while. It was extremely refreshing to hear a friend say this to my face and in front of my brothers instead of behind my back. He feared I would feel angry or dejected. NOT AT ALL! I thanked him for his honesty and we hugged. He earned a great deal of my respect.

We are human. We make mistakes. Things happen in our lives that we may not be proud of, but we go on. I have been subject to several people expressing their feelings about me behind my back. They whisper lies or ugly truths to people without ever confronting me. This makes me angry! None of us have earned the right to throw stones. I respect a person who makes a mistake and tries to atone for it a lot more than a person who judges others while hiding his own transgressions.

I read Tiger Woods' apology this morning. He did the right thing. He admitted to his failures. Now people should leave him and his family alone. This is between them. We think because we watch him golf on the weekends and buy Nike products, we have a say in his personal life. NO! These types of things make a person take a closer look at themselves. It makes you realize who you really are. If you don't like the person in the mirror, you better change him. I became a little more of a fan this morning.

I'm still getting acquainted with the man in the mirror. Some days he is a complete stranger.

2010-02-17T10:15:00.005-06:00

Hello. The weather seems to be getting to everyone I'm in contact with. This will surely go down in history as one of the worst, and longest, winters in Sioux Town. I'm hoping that spring will bring fresh attitudes and smiling faces. Apparently the hearty souls of this small Midwest town are not ready for long, cold, snowy winters. April, is that you in the distance waving in the warm breeze. Oh, how I long to be together again.

A good friend of ours was whisky-talking the other night about the dislike for each other her and her mate have shared lately. She commented on 29 years of being together...along with too many nights "trapped" in the house by old man winter. It made me think. Is it logical for two people to spend 30, 40, 50 or more years together? Can they stay happy? Many couples have. Well, they've stayed together. Humans are one of the only species to mate for life...and Canadian geese. Honk!

The human ego is an ugly monster. We all battle this demon, unfortunately some can't control him...or her. Being in the live entertainment promotion business I have dealt with some evil egos. I guess it takes a big ego to get on stage and perform. Some of these entertainers forget to hide their ego when they step off the stage. Hey buddy, no one is paying attention to you...get over your self. None of us should take ourselves too seriously. I remind myself of this daily.

2010-02-10T16:14:00.004-06:00

Hello. A guy walked into the bar last night and said, "This place is really hard to find." I laughed and replied, "It's actually easy, once you know what you're looking for." The comment is clouded with smoke, but as I thought about it, life is kind of that way. Once we know what we're looking for, it's easy to find. The tough part is figuring out what we're looking for. Or maybe it's understanding what it is we're looking for. Even though we think we know what we want, many people are chasing a life portrayed by society. The people around us paint a picture of what we think we need. We're back to the saying..."Perception is 100% of reality."

I wish a person could erase memories from their mind. You would think that as the head fills with new memories they would push the old ones out. Obviously that is not the case. As I get older, distant memories are becoming more clear. I have been recalling events from my childhood that haven't popped into my head in decades. It's kind of weird. The old bean must have an unlimited storage capacity. Damn this perfect system called a human.

A friend of mine suggests that we have no control over the ultimate outcome of our lives. This may be true, but I hate to think that nothing we do matters. I think how we live our lives determines the paths we follow. However, some think that how we live is even pre-determined. Some of us are "programmed" for good and some for evil? And of course the people who are neither just float along in the middle. I want to rise...not float, and definitely not sink.

2010-01-25T11:41:00.002-06:00

Hello. Saints and Vikings, what a game! What will Favre do now? We'll find out more about him with his next decision. He has time to think. Go Saints!

The music lovers have spoken...Thieving Magpies are great! A crowded Live Music Club made that very clear. They were the perfect appetizer for Brad Hoshaw & the Seven Deadlies. Friday night was a very cool night of original live music. Thank you Sioux City. If people will only trust the Sioux City Live Music Club and attend the shows, they'll be pleased. We don't do bad shows. Have faith...jump into the flame of the live music hotbed. Friday was an experience for the senses!

Some people can't see, or hear, through the fog of their closed mind. I have been guilty of this myself many times, but I am changing. Drop the veil and let the refreshing sights and sounds massage the senses. It is wonderful! There is a beautiful world out there. You have to look a little closer sometimes to see it, but it's there.

A lady I know was sharing her disgust with the people of Haiti the other day. She can't believe anyone would send help to "those people". "They don't want to do better for themselves," she said. I informed her that I'm sure they do want more than they have now. She tried to compare the homeless in Haiti to the people who lost their homes in California. NOT EVEN CLOSE! The people in California have plenty of options for short-term housing. The people of Haiti have the streets. If the people of Haiti were white, this woman would have a completely different outlook. Some of us are ugly Americans. Sad.

2010-01-14T14:01:00.003-06:00

Hello. A reflection from a previous post... Does anyone know of a dog named Fido? I've never met a Fido, yet it is the name most people associate with a dog. If no one names their dog Fido, how did it become the norm? If I ever get another dog-pet, I'm going to name it Fido.

Some people can clear a room just by opening their mouth...loudly opening their mouth. I was with some of my buddies last night having a good time and all of sudden, one guy starts shouting nonsense. He was saying things he doesn't even believe. I'll never understand why people make a spectacle of themselves. It sure killed a good buzz.

Our media is like that. These morons will carry on about something that they know is not true, yet they present it with conviction. I guess if filling the hours with "news" is your job, you have to create controversy. This is one of the reasons I think 24-hour news is a bad thing. However it can be addictive. When all there is on TV is reality shows, I prefer reality...or as close to reality as the media gets. CNN is also something you can be watching without paying any attention. It does give you something to talk about.

I just heard a U2 song on the radio. They were the number one selling band for 2009 according to Pollstar. Surprising? I've never been a big fan. I don't really dislike what they do, it's just not my thing. Their cross generation appeal must be the reason for all of the tickets. The top band for the decade was the Dave Matthews band. I might be missing something. I don't own any U2 or Dave Matthews music. I have a hard time fitting them into my obscure play list.

2010-01-12T09:53:00.002-06:00

Hello. 2010 is just like 2009...well except the numbers are different. The only way a new year, or decade for that matter, will change is if you do something different. Deep change. I'm ready.

Templeton Rye is very good whisky! A glass of Templeton with a little frozen water is grand. Once again I'm proving that the better the liquor, the better you feel the next day. However, for some reason, I can't drink like I used to. Maybe that's a good thing. Templeton is distilled in Templeton, Iowa. It was bootlegged until a couple of years ago. Now it is commercially available at most of your favorite booze huts. The bootlegged stuff had more mystique, but I rarely got to enjoy it.

All of the trees had a coat of frosting on them this morning. It is pretty. As pretty as cold, barren trees can be. I heard something on NPR yesterday about people who were such strangers to snow, they were afraid to walk on it. Put yourself in a mind-set that you have never seen snow before. It is a wondrous sight. My children and grandchildren have never seen snow like we have now. My daughter is 28. This is an unusual snow. I've seen worse. I need to go sledding.

2010-01-07T10:00:00.005-06:00

Hello. Snow. Blowing snow. Sucking snow. The forecast for today, "blowing and sucking snow"!

When I was younger, I loved snow days. As a little kid it meant no school and hours of new adventures. The bigger the drifts the better the forts. Then as I got older I owned a four-wheel-drive truck and my buddies and I lived for these days. Even until I was in my thirties snow was my friend. Now, there is very little I like about it. The local weather guy said last night during the six o'clock news that we have 43 inches of snow this winter! That is way more snow than we usually get all year. The other night driving home I imagined having never seen snow before. Instantly, for a brief moment, snow was cool. Then scooping my driveway popped into memory...auugghhh!

Last night as I scooped a path to my back door through 4' tall drifts, I noticed my half-buried Adirondack chairs sitting on the patio, staring longingly across my back yard. I think I heard one say to the other, "Heywood, is that you under all this white shit?" Seeing them sitting there, tall and firm, poking out of the drift made me realize it will be hotter than hell before we know it. Ah Midwest weather, if you don't like it wait a while it will change.

Yesterday, I saw a funeral procession battling the blowing snow and bitter cold, heading toward the final resting place for someone. A friend of mine is saying goodbye to an uncle today. Too bad we can't postpone death, like schools and businesses do. "John Deadman's death has been cancelled due to weather." Death must own a four-wheel-drive truck.

2009-12-29T11:25:00.004-06:00

Hello. Christmas is over. The biggest snowstorm in recent memory is over. Life goes on. With all of the snow, we were fortunate to have our son and his family living with us. We had everything we needed, including our three grand babies, to make for a wonderful holiday. Being alone in church on Christmas Eve was weird. Well, not alone, but none of my family was there. It gave me time to think...and leak a tear or two.

The Duhks music makes me feel good. Give them a listen if you get a chance. My first experience of the Paint Room live was fantastic. I felt like I'd slipped into another world. We walked down a narrow alley, into a back door, down a terrazzo staircase, through winding hallways past an old-school workshop and there in a dimly light room was music...grand music! It was awesome!

Snow will be here until April now. There are mountains of snow everywhere. I don't like the snow, but it doesn't care. It just lies there with a smirk on it's face as if to say, "I'm here to stay, bitch". Some people have no business driving in it. I see them stuck in deep snow and wonder if they are blind. Maybe just bad at judging things. The Somalians that have moved into the area seem quite confused. Take note of vehicles driven by these new strangers. By my count, almost half of them are damaged. Must not have cars in Somalia.

Priorities are odd fellows. A priority for one person is meaningless to another. So is it really a priority? Can you make your priority important to another? Maybe it wasn't a priority after all.

2009-12-22T15:26:00.003-06:00

Hello. It's time to change Christmas. It needs to be about sharing with others, not lining big retailers pockets. There is guilt laid on everyone to buy the right gift...or just to buy a gift. It's BULLSHIT! I was out yesterday for a bit, buying gifts for the Boys & Girls homes. Gifts for children who can't be at home for the holidays makes some sense...but Wii games?!? I parked my 1999 2-door Pontiac and as I dragged my fat ass out, the large door tapped the car next to me. I looked at the foreign SUV and couldn't see a mark in the dirt. As I walked towards the store, a woman swung her door open and hollered, "I put enough dents in this thing, I don't need your help!" I hadn't notice there was someone in the car. I stopped... smiled... and said, "I don't think I dented anything." I took a second look and still didn't see any "dent". She snarled some more and drove off. Ahh, the spirit of Christmas.

Not drinking is weird. People think there is something wrong with you. Can't a guy just lay off the booze for a few days? It does feel odd to sit in a bar with my buddies and drink Sprite. I sure do like it the next day. I'm not quitting, I'm just taking a break. If someone chooses to drink less, we should be supportive. Maybe more of us should have pushed George to take a break. I think people can do whatever they like...even if it's committing vodka-suicide. It's not my place to tell them what to do. Or is it?

Hugs are great. I'm not talking about putting your arms around someone like you're afraid you'll catch a disease from them. I'm talking about wrapping your arms around a person and holding them tight, feeling their spirit, taking a deep breath and becoming one. Try it sometime. It can be unforgettable.

2009-12-16T16:35:00.003-06:00

Hello. I'm back. You thought I'd disappear for a few weeks didn't you?

Money sucks. There is never enough. Well, there is always enough, there just isn't any extra. We make sure of that. Oh what fools we are. I saw today that the Feds had set a limit of $12.1 trillion for the deficit. Well we reached that already. Now what? The barter system looks better and better all the time.

I've been getting to work a little earlier lately...9:00 am. They say the early bird gets the worm. The worm should have slept in. Life crawls along in Sioux Town. There are little sparks once in a while, but they fizzle out quickly. The town needs a new business to locate here...or at least the rumor of one. The leaders don't do a good job leading. Leaders should cause their followers to think and act. The leaders around here expect the followers to...well follow them, exactly. Don't have an original thought. No, no, no! "We might have to change!" Most people don't understand change. It's tough, but necessary to survive. I need to change. Yep, I need deep change. It makes me tingle just to say that. YAY!

2009-12-11T12:01:00.004-06:00

Hello. I'm going crazy...two blogs in one week! Whoopee Doopee!

I stumbled into an interesting little twilight zone last night. I shot pool with the Eagles team at a neighborhood bar on the west side of Sioux Town. It was so foreign to me, I might as well have been on another planet. Being in the bar business and considering how small this town is, I assumed the crowd would be familiar. There were a couple of regulars that I know, but for the most part I was the stranger.

I do enjoy shooting pool on a bar table after playing on the RATSO snooker table. Everything is so close...and BIG! I still only won one game. I'm a clean freak. This place was not clean. It's hard for me to get comfortable. I had to wonder, "Why would anyone choose to drink in this place?" We had no choice because it was the designated pool stop. Apparently some people don't mind slopping around in other people's 'stuff' while they get a buzz on. Drinks were cheap, but the smell of cat piss took its toll.

I have to take my 80-year-old mother to a doctor today. She fell. Life is odd. When we're young our parents take us to the doctor. When we get older, we return the favor. Maybe I should take her out for a treat afterwards... that's what she did for me. I'm not sure I'll make it to 80. I burn up the days like they are endless. You've heard of dog years, 1 year is like 7 years for a dog. I'm thinking about changing my name to Fido. Question for next time, "Do you know a dog named Fido?"

2009-12-08T16:32:00.002-06:00

Hello, hello. Is anyone paying attention? Has my audience given up on me in my absence? Let's start over.

Here I sit listening to some cool music, sniffling and waiting out the clock. In 30 minutes PJ is done working and we try to navigate the first big snow of the season. Big deal. Writing stuff feels good. The music is Jackie Greene...I like it. We hosted Chuck Prophet on Saturday night. What a killer show! Do you like my use of exclamation points? My head is full. Oh yeah, Prophet. What a weird guy. Just when I thought he was cool, he showed a not-so-cool side. The guitar play between him and Andy (or whatever the guitar players name was), was incredible! "Giving up the Ghost" is the album from Jackie Greene. He was with Phil Lesh and Friends a couple of years ago at SITP. He stole the show. I guess he is Phil's friend. The evening just became more interesting...an invitation for whisky has been added to the agenda. That makes the snow more challenging. Me and a couple of my buds tripped over to Byron's in Pomeroy on a Sunday afternoon. Men in bib overalls, women dressed in Goodwill clothing, tie-dye stuff everywhere and a 6-year-old dancing girl made the evening quite memorable. Please don't be disturbed by the 6-year-old dancing girl comment. Time to go. Peace my friends.

2009-10-12T16:14:00.005-05:00

Hello. I realized that my last blog was on 9/11. Is there some relation to that fateful day and my thoughts fading away? Is my life becoming so normal that I have nothing to say? The light bulb has flickered a couple of times in the last month, but before it turned into a real glow things went dark.

As I sit in my cubicle, my mind wanders from one idea to the next, rarely giving a nod to selling printing. All of the years of involvement with the graphics industry is becoming more and more of a distant memory. I ignore the nudging that tries to wake me to an opportunity. My "work" habits lately are a waste of time. I wake from my coma sitting in this crappy office chair and think, "What am I doing here?" There must be an answer. I have to look in the right part of my heart.

Our little music club hosted Bernard Allison last Friday night. If you have not witnessed the talent in this man, you are missing something. He is spectacular...even though he was not in full touring mode. Playing the guitar and singing songs you love for thousands of people around the world probably becomes "old hat" at times. None the less, he put on a show that people in this little burg will talk about for a while.

Two different friends of mine have suggested that being in a rut is a good thing. I try to find the comfort in that concept, but I struggle with it. For the last 25 years I have made each day a new venture. I looked forward to rolling out of bed. I don't see the challenge any more. Things are what they are. I need some new expectations on myself. The other night a friend of mine expressed his fear of making a "risky" career move. I laughed inside, thinking, "that is all I have ever done." It made me realize that I'm missing that little troll on my shoulder named Risk.

2009-09-11T10:10:00.003-05:00

Hello. Shhh, I'm blogging from the confines of my cube...be vewy, vewy quiet.

I've been wondering lately. How do you spend months or even years building a relationship and then end the relationship? People spend 5, 10, 20 or more years of marriage and then decide to call it quits. It's over...or is it? Can it be? A song plays on the radio or you drive by that "spot" and, WHAM...the memory is there. The idea of trying to erase someone close to your heart out of your mind seems quite contrary to me. I guess at times it is necessary.

For many years I was very fortunate to have "work" that I loved. It didn't seem like work because I enjoyed it so much. My advice for many young people was, "find a career that is fun." I often commented, "we may not be making a lot of money, but we sure are having fun." Unfortunately, the fun has run out. I don't fit in with the company I represent. I don't agree with their "business model". I never thought that after 25 years in the graphics business, I would loose the love. I think it's time to move on to the second half. Now go out there and get 'em!

2009-09-03T09:52:00.002-05:00

Hello. Apparently I am only capable of short thoughts lately, so here's a few more bouncy things...

It's easier to smile at some people if you don't get to know them too well.

Perception is 100% of reality...(thanks Mark).

Jagermeister is polio in a bottle.

Choose the bright side...the dark side sucks.

The Riverssance vibe is contagious.

If you hold some one's feelings for more than a moment it becomes a lifetime deal.

Feelings and emotions derail solutions.

You can make life what you want...make it cool.

Children are experts at the art of acceptance.

I think childish behavior is a good thing.

Peace

2009-08-24T15:56:00.006-05:00

Hello. More bouncing thoughts...

Weekday blues parties are hard on the weekend.

Chicken salad, cream puffs and sausage dip or just the flu, aagghh?

A killer guitar player is hiding in the beautiful Ana Popovic.

Once a car goes up in a cloud of smoke, it's really hard to drive.

Car salesmen must have a hard time remembering which story they told you.

Trying to convince an atheist there is life after death is fun.

Does anyone know the truth?

Grandchildren are so cool, they make grandma cry.

Free booze is way more potent than the expensive stuff.

Sioux City people would rather tap their toes than shake their butt.

New parents spend months hoping their baby talks, and years trying to get them to stop.

Peace

2009-08-14T11:33:00.005-05:00

Hello. I've been thinking...

Women are cursed with wearing their lives on their faces.

Some people are really good at creating conflict in their lives.

Worrying is a waste of time...it won't change the outcome.

You can't talk with some people...they only let you listen.

Music is in the ear of the beholder.

A wandering mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Uniformed cops on a golf course is weird.

It's easier to keep something that you're not worried about losing.

It's too bad that the enthusiasm of youth is wasted on the young.

There is no measuring stick of faith.

Eating, texting and primping should be illegal while driving

Hitting golf balls at Joe's Hardware is a waste of golf balls.

A hose clamp can save a lot of gas.

Nothing compares to a grandbaby resting on your lap.

Always look at the bright side of life.

Peace

2009-07-29T11:53:00.003-05:00

Hello. I woke up this morning with a Monty Python lyric in my head... "always look at the bright side of life, do-do...do-do..." Several years ago I read an article by Norman Vincent Peale in which he stated that we should look for something good in all of life's offerings. That is such a comforting way to live. We get sucked into the dark well of negative thoughts. Time is too precious to waste on a pail full of grief. Life is good. Now there's a tattoo for you.

We had a jazz duo perform at the Club last night. Bill Smith plays alto sax and Charles Sanders tickles the keys. They are fantastic musicians. Jazz is like Scotch, or Blue Cheese, it is an acquired taste. Your first taste might make you wince, then as you sit back and let the flavor massage your senses you begin to enjoy. Time mellows the taste and it becomes quite hypnotic.

I think many of us need to look at life that way. Don't judge the "taste" so quickly. Racism, elite-ism and hate might go away if we all take time to enjoy the taste of diversity.

2009-07-24T11:02:00.003-05:00

Hello, and welcome to "Birthday" day. The lady I share my life with gets another year older today. Well actually she's only one day older. We've been together more than 2/3 of our lives. She was only 15 years old when we met! We were at a party a while back and there were 2 other couples who got together at a younger age than we did. The one guy said he and his wife were only 13 years old when they met. WOW! It's cool that two people learn, love and grow together.

Today, young people generally shop around until they're in their twenties or thirties. It will be interesting to see how this shift in society affects the divorce rate. The peak divorce rate was in 1981, maybe a reflection of all of the young people marrying in the late 60's and 70's. It's probably a good thing that young lovers are more patient today.

Two people that have shared so much of life together find an uncommon comfort zone. The level of comfort is great, however, it can be dangerous. We realized over the years that you can take each other for granted. The incredible life you have carved out together becomes the norm. Nothing so special should be taken for granted.

2009-07-16T11:58:00.003-05:00

Hello. Piles of paper, empty coffee cup and mints... a view in the cube.

I got out of bed this morning, but never woke up. Was it the bourbon, the Chimay or the smoke? Hmmm? Maybe the combination. Sometimes my head just isn't big enough for all of the party favors. You know, sometimes you can drink and smoke for hours and get a good buzz. Then other times you have a couple of drinks and you're sideways. I've always credited it to the contact high you get from the people and the environment you share.

We were out last night, Hump Day, and made a run through Hysterical Fourth Street...the uh, entertainment mecca in Sioux Town. At midnight, most of the bars were closed and the ones that weren't had plenty of available seating. In the last 2 years, things have really died on Fourth Street. A couple of years ago on Wednesday night, you couldn't find a place to park, now you could park an entire fleet of cars anywhere up and down the street. I think a city needs locals with disposable cash jingling in their pockets for this type of area to work. Sioux Town obviously does not have that. I also believe that a lot of the citizens in the area would rather sit on their ass watching reality TV, than step out into the nightlife.

While we're discussing how apathetic Sioux Town is, I heard an interesting comment the other day. A friend of ours who has lived in town for over 15 years said that he didn't know many people at Saturday in the Park (the local festival that draws over 25,000 people every year). Are the majority of the 25,000 out-of-towners? When you ask people what they thought of the festival, many of them tell me they don't go. What!!! You don't go to a FREE outdoor music festival that features top national touring acts right in your backyard?

I'll never figure Sioux Town out. Why am I here? Oh yeah, the merry little band of freaks that make living here cool. Thanks, you all know who you are.

2009-07-13T09:38:00.002-05:00

Hello. Old pop cans, piles of paper and burlap walls...a view from my cubicle.

YAY!! We finally held a "Fridays on the Promenade" at the Promenade. This was the third show of eight. The first two were forced indoors by rain and a doubting sound tech. I was sooooo happy! "Fridays" are such a cool event. The Roth Fountain babbling, children laughing, Casey dancing and 5 or 6 hundred locals feeling the spirit of live music. Rain, rain go away...come again another day.

Years ago the youth of the area spent the warm summer nights cruising a route in downtown Sioux City known as the "Loop". The journey went north on Nebraska Street to Eleventh or Fourteenth, (depending on your personality), and then over to Pierce Street where you turned south and rambled to Fourth or Fifth and started over, again and again and again. People parked at their favorite spots along the way to "get busy" or enjoy some face time with a rival. It was the social circle of the day. As our youth changed, thanks to our society, the law cracked down on "cruising the Loop" and it has become a thing of the past.

Last Saturday night, however, we enjoyed cruising the Loop once again. Our dear friend, Phil has convinced the local authorities to allow a "Cruise the Loop Night" once a year as part of the River-Cade festivities. It was a magnificent sight! Hundreds of cars and motorcycles filling all three lanes of the one-way streets. There were cars from the 1920's to a 2009 Toyota flying it's suicide doors. Chatting with the folks in the car next to you, screeching tires and the smell of burning rubber brought back fond memories.

Once again, I'm very thankful for the little band of friends we have. They make Sioux City cool.

2009-07-06T15:35:00.002-05:00

Hello. The Fourth of July is behind us and summer is slipping away. We spend the first 6 months of each year prepping for Saturday in the Park, a music festival held on the Saturday closest to Independence Day for the past 19 years. The closer it gets to the day of the festival everyone around town is buzzing about the bands, the weather, the crowd, the parking and the beer. The week of the fest there is something going on daily. The anticipation builds and then the day finally arrives... and in the blink of an eye, it's over. This year was weird. I felt like everything was happening in a dream-like state and I was looking through a fogged-over window, yearning to be part of it. You know, kind of like life.

Peace

2009-06-19T11:22:00.003-05:00

Hello. Is there anybody out there? I have been so busy lately that I've deprived myself the joy of blogging. Over the last few weeks many great blogs have entered my head, rolled around a while, and slipped away, leaving very little behind. It seems like one thought enters my head and kicks another one out. I need to record my thoughts instead of relying on my fuzzy mind.

As we sat in the courtyard of some friends of ours the other evening, their old screen porch brought back a dusty memory. When I was a young boy, I slept in the old screen porch on the side of our house on hot summer nights. The vision took me back over 4 decades, and I could "feel" the warm night air and "hear" the cricket lullaby. Life was so innocent back then. I consider myself lucky to have spent my childhood in a small Midwest town in the early 60's. At the young age of 5 years old, my buddies and I would walk to the local movie house on a Saturday afternoon, and enjoy "The Shadow", a weekly serial, and a classic western or Elvis movie. Today, parents can barely let their children out of their sight. In fact, in some larger cities, I've seen children "leashed" to their parent. It's sad what has become of our society.

When we fall and "skin" our soul, the wound can be very painful. They say, "time heals all wounds". As time passes, the pain fades into a tiny speck in the back of our mind, but the wound is still there. Can we ever totally heal the wound? A wound can be nearly "healed", only to have an event, a song or even a smell tear the wound open again. The scars on our hearts and souls are reminders that we are human.

2009-05-25T11:55:00.003-05:00

Hello. A linen tablecloth, sunny day and graffiti on the patio...a view from the kitchen table.

I'm back. Between network problems at home, censorship at my office and lack of motivation, I've been derelict in my blogging. Oh, how I miss it. We had a wonderful gathering a couple of days ago. Friends, old and new, filled our yard with good food, drink and smoke. A warming fire, guitar play and brotherly love carried us into the early morning hours. The best part of this gathering was the common bond...a love for music. Music brought all of us to this crossroad in our lives. I'm thankful for the relationships we have.

How do we choose which opportunities to pass on and which ones to act on? I think a person should experience as much life as you can. However, that line of thinking can create problems. It is difficult to refrain from stuffing your pockets with all the goodies life has to offer. It's like being a kid in the candy store with only 50 cents in your pocket. You know you can't taste all of it so you choose the ones you know you like. Then you wonder...what would that pretty little piece of candy on the shelf taste like? I've written before about my father questioning his path in the final days of his life. In his own words, "I never took any risks." He didn't say he regretted not tasting more life, but I've always thought that in a small way, he may have. We can't have it all...or can we?

I've taken a big bite out of life. Some of it has left a bad taste in my mouth. I guess that's what we get when our eyes are bigger than our hearts.

2009-05-07T12:10:00.002-05:00

Hello. A view from the kitchen table...pretty yellow flowers growing...oh wait, that's a yard full of dandelions...how pretty! Hello Robin Redbreast!

Our journey to the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis was quite an experience. It opened my eyes to a BIG festival, southern hospitality and mud. The festival fills Tom Lee Park which runs along the banks of the Mississippi River. Three massive stages and a big-ass tent played host to some of the top artists of today along with several veterans. I am involved with our local fest, Saturday in the Park, so I have an understanding of the effort that goes into producing such an event. As we strolled slack-jawed through the 33 acres of the Beale Street Festival, I took notice of things like staging, beer sales and clean up. The producers of this event are dealing with numbers that make their situation a lot tougher than ours. They have 4 stages compared to 2, 60 bands compared to 10, 115,000 fans compared to 25,000 and 3 days compared to 1 great day. Now I have a different perspective on our festival.

The people in Memphis must have missed the "southern hospitality" class. From the waitstaff in the bars to the people we bumped into at the park, they appear to have lost their personality in the Civil War. Maybe they treat foreigners worse than the home-boys. Have you ever noticed that a southern accent can make someone sound, well...stupid? What makes a person talk this way? As we tried to communicate with these folks, I wondered how people of European decent developed a language like this. I think a lot of the people who settled the South were of French descent. Mix French with African tongue and you have a lazy language that is very difficult to understand.

It began to rain about 11:00 pm Friday night and stopped Monday morning. Needless to say, this turned the park/river bottom into a sea of mud. This didn't slow the large crowd down at all. They all ate, drank and rocked-out like it was 80 degrees and sunny. I have never seen anything like it. Apparently these southern folk don't mind wallowing in mud while they enjoy their music. If the same circumstances were taking place 300 miles north, the park would have been near empty. But, when in Memphis, do as the Memphiseans.

2009-04-22T14:02:00.002-05:00

Hello. Chirping birds, popping dandelions and backhoes...a view from the kitchen table.

Last Saturday, we made a trip to the Evelyn Larson Theater, a small, midtown storefront-turned-theater operated by Shot in the Dark Productions. The evening began with a tasty stuffed chicken dinner, a bottle of Merlot, which we brought with us, and a view of the locals wandering on the city sidewalk. As we licked up the last drop of Merlot, the director signaled for everyone to enter the black box. In the darkness of the small, musty room, I was taken away from Sioux City. It had a feel unlike anything I've experienced in town. The play is a Frank McGuinness piece called "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me." The entire production takes place on a one set stage, a Lebanese prison cell. It is a study of an Englishman, an Irishman and an American, chained to a prison wall by radical Arab captors. I was surprised at the talent of these actors. They did a fine job with the heavy dialogue and the range of emotions they portrayed.

It's cool that some local folks are practicing their love of theater and producing a show like this. I'm all for it! I have been trying to enlighten the fine citizens of this cowtown for over a decade, so I know the struggles they face. I'm convinced that you have to find a way to satisfy your dream without draining the wallet. Unfortunately I've drained the wallet more than once trying to realize the dream. But, I say continue trying my friends. Seeing a room full of people... or just a handful of people with joy on their faces is worth it.

2009-04-13T14:43:00.002-05:00

Hello. A view from the kitchen...sunflowers leaning towards sunlight, even though they're fake, greening grass and a clean house.

We moved into this house over 10 years ago. The lots behind us have been big empty fields of weeds and occasionally alfalfa. It's nice having the open spaces. The end is near however. Big machines started digging a hole directly behind our property last week. The hole has turned into large piles of dirt. I have to share my father-in-laws perspective..."Well, it might be better than a field of weeds." Time will tell. I'd rather have the most obnoxious weeds known to man in the lot to the west of me instead of the neighbor I have.

Neighborhoods aren't like they were when I was young. The neighborhood I grew up in was a close knit "family". The parents kept an eye on all of the neighborhood kids. Sometimes that was annoying as a kid with a "creative" mind. All of the kids did everything together. You tried to find your "gal" amongst the neighbor-girls. It was like a bonanza when the elderly couple living next to my parents moved out and a young family with 3 fairly "HOT" daughters moved in. They also had 2 brothers which helped fill the roster on the neighborhood ball team.

Times were good in the 60's and 70's. At the time we didn't realize how good we had it. I hope my grandbabies will be able to experience childhood with the innocence and peace that I remember.

2009-04-05T12:43:00.003-05:00

Hello. A view from the kitchen...floating snowflakes, greening grass and a cat sleeping on a vent.

I'm stimulated! As I sat at the round table this week, I was treated to another religious conversation. Yeah, the usual suspects were there, the atheist, the conservative catholic and a new contestant, the redneck loudmouth cath-aholic. It was great! A central point became, "What is faith?" Is faith and belief the same? Well according to Webster, faith means, "something that is believed especially with strong conviction; belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion; firm belief in something for which there is no proof". So, I guess faith is belief. If we believe something, we have faith in it. My mind is not ready for that this morning.

The atheist likes to hang his hat on the fact that faith is believing in something you can't prove. "How can you believe in something you can't prove?" Boy, that narrows down what we can believe in! The redneck says that his faith has allowed him to, "dig ditches, write estimates, do plumbing...blah, blah, blah,...take care of my family, I don't need nothing from those, f***ers!" HUH! What does that have to do with faith? Another of his arguments was "Dogs don't know they're gonna die." Me thinks this guy has been in the well a little too long.

If we don't have faith what do we have? I have struggled with this question many times and I've always come up empty...hmmm, empty? If believing with strong conviction is faith, I think most of us have faith in something or someone. I feel sorry for those who don't have something they believe in with conviction. What meaning would your life have?

Peace.

2009-03-19T13:34:00.002-05:00

Hello. I spent Monday making a whirlwind trip to Rochester, Minnesota and back. It turned into a whirlwind trip through the coffers of my mind. I'm beginning to think that sub-consciously, it is the reason I haven't been making the trip very often. Some scars are slow to heal.

Does everyone have a personal agenda tied to their actions? Over the years, I have thought that people got involved to actually help a common effort. Now, I realize that most people are only trying to gain something for themselves. Very few people do things out of genuine kindness or concern for others. I work with several different groups and most of the members seem to have a personal agenda. It makes me sick. I'm sure that I have been guilty of this myself at times. Most of the tasks I undertake are for the better of a greater cause. The satisfaction of seeing someone smile or knowing that someone feels good about themselves is enough reward.

We all want to feel good about who we are. Some of us can feel good from in our souls and some of us need reinforcement from outside sources. I trust my own sense of wholeness more than I do an outsider.

2009-03-07T11:10:00.002-06:00

Hello. From the dining room table...cloudy, a rabbit nesting in the yard and a sleeping cat.

It's nice sometimes to change your habits. I normally sleep late on the weekends, but I took the hard-working lady to work this morning. So, I only get 6 hours of beauty sleep. It's cool to see what's going on at a time of day that I normally miss. I have several extra hours of day to fill. Hmmm?

Lately, as I drive around this little river town, I have been looking at everything like it's the first time I've seen it. It's a pretty nice place. The drive along the riverfront, the old buildings downtown, the new retail district, even the other side of the tracks...they all look different. I take myself out of the reality of monotony. I've looked at myself like this before, but never at the environment around me. I have a new appreciation for the place we call home. I've travelled to many places that can't hold a candle to Sioux Town.

I think it's good for us to "stop and smell the roses" every now and then. We get caught up in our daily routines, otherwise known as the "rut", and loose sight of the quality of our lives. This is true with people as well. Our mate, our family and our friends can become mundane. It's easy to look past them, or worse through them. Stop, and get to know them for the first time again. Look at "the one" across the room as if it's the first time you've ever laid eyes on them. I think you'll realize why these people are such an important part of your life.

2009-03-04T14:26:00.002-06:00

Hello. A view from the dining room...sleeping cat, disappearing snow and bright sun.

Some things that we do along the path of life will change things forever. Maybe everything we do leaves an everlasting imprint on our life. We may even play a big enough role to effect other people's lives as well. Unfortunately, I think we can scar people. We need to consider every thing we say and do. I have been a fairly free spirit most of my life. I grabbed opportunities as they came along, not giving much thought to the consequences. To coin a common phrase I "lived for the moment."

As I reflect back on a half century of self indulgence, I see the faults in that lifestyle. I have the ability to let things roll off and move on. That may seem like a good thing. I now realize that for things to truly "roll off", all parties involved have to feel the same way. We are kidding ourselves if we think everything is cool, when someone else is weighed down by your actions or words. I think we should hold each other accountable for the things we say and do. It's tough to tell someone, "that really hurts." Why can't we be honest with each other? If we could accept others feelings, we would have more respect for them.

Bad decisions can make prisoners of all of us.

2009-02-26T14:28:00.005-06:00

Hello. The view from my dining room table...cloudy, windy and misty.

Should anyone be happy with mediocrity? The people in this sleepy little cowtown seem to be content with being average. They do very little to step up their lives. I wonder if many of the citizens have ever been more than 20 miles from their cozy little shacks. I believe they think the lifestyle in Sioux Town is top shelf. This "love for mediocrity" pervades all aspects of a community. It deteriorates the local artists and entertainers, the restaurants and the service providers. They all become complacent and offer enough to meet the standard of mediocrity. If the locals demanded more from the social and business offerings, I think they would deliver.

We even promote this to our young. Sports organizers don't keep score in the games any more. We don't want little Johnny to feel bad about loosing the game. I've witnessed competitions where every entrant is awarded a medal just for showing up. This makes me crazy! I have been in the business world for almost 30 years and I've never been awarded a contract just because I made it to the meeting on time. Why should we trick some youth into thinking they are achieving great things when they are barely satisfying the minimum. And conversely, why punish the top achievers but lumping them into the pile of mediocrity. If you are better than others you should be recognized...whether you're 9 or 90.

I heard a lyric from a Waifs song last night..."I'm free when the sun shines down on me."

I like that.

2009-02-19T14:19:00.004-06:00

Hello. I do not recall the political world being so much in the limelight as it has been over the last year or so. Every move made in D.C. lately comes under the watchful eye of the mental giants in the media. The media was in love with Obama during the campaign and now they're busting his chops for every move he makes. Is the extensive coverage a reality or is my aging brain finally paying more attention to CNN than ESPN?

How about this cartoonist that portrayed a monkey gunned down by a couple of cops and said that it was not a reference to Obama. Really. I must have missed the chimp who signed a stimulus plan. Who would have thought that electing a black leader of the free world would bring racism to the forefront again...DUH. African Americans believe they have a BIG voice now that Obama is in office, yet every time a black man speaks his mind, the media bitch slaps the guy. America tries to shake off the shame of the past by electing a black president, but reveals herself as a closet bigot. Will the real Archie Bunker please stand up.

Technology is killing our world as we know it. I bet Michael Phelps wishes the camera-phone was never invented. An innocent bong hit turns an American hero into late night fodder. If he would have been photographed drinking a beer, his picture would still be on a Wheaties box. A friend of mine suggests that General Mills change the name to "Weedies".

People need to understand that politicians, athletes, musicians and movie stars are humans, like the rest of us. Humans will make mistakes. It is not up to all of us to judge them, I'll leave that to a power much stronger than I.

2009-02-13T13:35:00.002-06:00

Hello. I'm writing this blog from a new environment...my dining room table. Time will tell if this affects the slant of my blogging. My office has put the clamps on internet "fun". Apparently blogging, downloading music and videos and myspace time was eating up too much of the precious little bandwidth in the building. Oh well.

I have pondered the idea that people become the person that other's see and hear. A friend of mine put a little twist on it. He suggests that people make their opinion of someone based on that person's behavior, which is a reflection of who they are. If that is the case, then we drive people to their opinion of us. But are we affected by other's opinion of us? Do we try harder to become more or less like the person others think we are? What???

As we discussed this topic, the effects of the smoke and the drink began to take over. He proposed that we should think in terms of "I am" instead of "Me". After a short pause for the brain to kick in, I liked this thought. "Me" is what others have fabricated in their minds about a person. "I am", is the person you are. I think we have to keep "Me" in perspective and let "I am" drive the soul bus. I don't think all of this confusion is good. It might be a waste of time.

2009-02-10T09:46:00.004-06:00

Hello. I reached into my head a few times last week, but all I could find was bits and pieces. There are some whole thoughts leaking out today...

Who do we blame for people's behavior? Is it their parents? How about their surroundings? Maybe it's in their genes...or is it jeans? Let's face it, what's in your jeans can affect a personality. Whatever the reason, some people can't sit at the big table. They spend their lives behaving like spoiled brats. I have to put some of the blame on the parents for this kind of behavior. These people have never had to deal with the shit that life throws at us. Mommy and/or Daddy have chosen to let their baby think life is all roses and sunshine. So you end up with a 40-something, throwing their keys across the room and storming out of a meeting, rather than resolving the issue like a grown-up.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think it is a parents' responsibility to protect their children from the big, nasty world out there. But, it is also their responsibility to teach their children that life can be one mean son-of-a-bitch! Let them make mistakes. Let them get hurt...well a little anyway. Let them see you hurting. It is tough to see your son or daughter cry, but there are lessons in every tear. Sooner or later we are all going to have to face life's harsh reality. It's nice to have on your four-bucklers when you have to take a walk through the shit.

2009-01-26T15:38:00.002-06:00

Hello. The more I kick around this dirt ball, the more questions I have. Just when I figure something out, a curve comes flying in about chin-high. I have met several spiritual people over the years. People, trying to live life in a manner that allows them to feel good about themselves. I enjoy talking with them and hearing their outlook on life. There is talk of peace, karma, acceptance and tolerance.

When you hear the word peace, do you think of war? Think of peace in smaller, more intimate thoughts. Living a peaceful life can affect everything you do. The way you respond to a slow, fast-food worker or a cell phone-impaired-driver that you are sharing the roadway with can bring peace into your life...or not. Can we live in peace and hold a grudge against others? Are we truly at peace if we harbor negative thoughts? Can you truly have a "peaceful protest"? Is individual peace really possible?

I have found that peace means something different to each of us. Many people don't attempt to live a peaceful life. There are many who believe they promote peace in the world, as they back stab one after another. We should all think about our actions. If not at the moment, then at a later time when you can ask yourself, "Is that the peaceful way?" Thankfully, I have friends and family who slap me in the face when I drop the peace ball. I don't know if complete peace in our lives is possible, but I feel better when I think peacefully.

2009-01-23T16:30:00.002-06:00

Hello. The week almost slipped by without me punching in. I overdosed on live music, bourbon and facetime last weekend! It was GREAT! We partied with a local blues/rock band, Stealing Mercury on Saturday and a national touring blues act, Juke Joint Duo on Sunday. The "high" didn't wear off until late Wednesday! We had a chance to chat with the "Duo", Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm after their show on Sunday. They are two downhome boys from the Mississippi Delta. These guys don't even know how good they are. They're just doing what feels right. As Lightnin' introduced a song from their new CD he said, "Here's one we made up while..." They're just making things up and having fun!

Last night our grandson came running into the kitchen and said, "Come see the dark with me!" How I wish we would never loose the child-like innocence. He had a little flashlight and was creating a whole new world in the darkness of the bedroom. Shining his flashlight under the bed and in the back of the closet, a lonesome sock and a cat toy became valuable treasures. I'm so glad he makes me sit on the floor with him. As adults, we often look too hard to see the "treasures". They are right in front of us. I guess, maybe we need a better flashlight.

2009-01-16T14:46:00.002-06:00

Hello. Where does the time go? It's amazing how time flies when you're busy. I think I may have my fingers in too many things. Well, not literally "in" things...but involved with things. We are promoting a couple of events happening this weekend. Saturday is the first "nightlife SUX Party, Party" and Sunday is the Juke Joint Duo show!

As long as we stay in this little river town, we'll keep trying to bring it alive with entertainment. In over 10 years of promoting nightlife in Siouxland, I think we may finally be making a difference. The support from the members of the Sioux City Live Music Club is great. I've written for years about the "merry band of music junkies". After floundering as individuals, we have banded together to create a "live" scene in town. It's working! The support I feel when I'm with these people is truly uplifting. Together, I believe we can accomplish anything we want.

2009-01-12T16:31:00.002-06:00

Hello. I have reached the summit of the Blues and it is John Hammond. Like most other genres of music, Blues has grown to include, Chicago, Southern, West Coast and Hill styles, to mention a few. But, the Delta-style Blues of the slaves and the share-croppers is unmistakable. John Hammond understands this very well. He is a student of the Blues. I give him glowing marks for his play as well as his storytelling. For almost two hours I was mesmerized. He shared the stage with an acoustic guitar, a borrowed steel and an assortment of mouth harps. I have seen several solo shows and this may have been the cream of the crop.

As I sat there, I was reminded what the Blues are. Music about life, the good and the bad. Music that is simple and complex with the same note. The guitar licks, harmonica blows and percussive foot stomp created a rich, authentic sound. His mellow and intriguing vocals pulled it all together. Most 4 and 5-piece bands don't achieve this quality of music.

I was disappointed, not surprised, at the lack of interaction shown by the South Dakota crowd. The usually reserved Sioux Falls fans only awarded Mr. Hammond with one brief standing ovation. In fact, he worked for almost an hour before the crowd realized they can applaud during a song! I have seen several shows in Sioux Falls and the fans seem to be more concerned with their new khakis or 90's hairstyle than the performance.

I spoke to Hammond for a short time after the show, and he appeared to be pleased. I hope he felt loved...he was by our small group.

2009-01-06T09:50:00.003-06:00

Hello 2009! Three years ago today I wrote my first blog. Time sure goes by fast. Alot has happened in those three years. Some good and some great. As I reflect on the past, I pull a smile out of my pocket and wipe a tear from my eye. The recent holidays leave me with a pocketful of new smiles. The last two weeks were mind-bending. I really dig 2-day work weeks. Fortunately, my family and friends can enjoy the holidays. Sometimes to excess. Sadly, the holidays are just another day for many people who struggle through life. I did some small things this season to help others, but I think we can all do much more. The people who are struggling can do the most for themselves.

We celebrated the coming of a New Year twice. We spent December 31 with friends at private parties indulging ourselves with high-end party favors. You should treat yourself to some special goodies at least once a year. Putting 2008 behind us is reason enough for me. I feel good about 2009. Even as I struggle to make sense of my life, I like my chances. I am beginning to realize that "I yam what I yam and I is what I is...yuk, yuk, yuk". Instead of questioning where we are, we should embrace where we are.

The Music Club members, Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin' Altar Boys and a large crowd of friends gathered to celebrate New Year's Eve Part II. For a few hours on January 2, it was December 31 all over again, complete with party hats, horns and champagne! People were cheering, hugging and kissing. The room was filled with happiness. Actually, every one of the Music Club shows have been like this. We are promoting "happy". Since we started doing our shows I've seen people dance who don't dance, I've seen people hug who don't hug, I've seen people act silly who don't act silly. Apparently, people feel good within the arms of the Sioux City Live Music Club. It is so cool.

Peace

2008-12-30T15:59:00.003-06:00

Hello. The cutout cookies are gone. The meat and cheese trays are empty. The wrapping paper is but a wisp of smoke. Another Christmas has come and gone. It disappears as quickly as it shows up on Halloween. Thankfully, some memories will linger. The group of friends and family who gathered at the house on Christmas Day, the walk through the snowy field with our grandson and the looks on the kids faces.

One of the regulars in the bar said last week, "Christmas is for the little kids anyway." Sadly, she is right. The surprise and joy seem to be lost on the "big kids". Why do we grow out of such wonderful moments? Does society drain the child-like awe from our souls? It's sad that we are continually told to, "stop acting so childish!" Who ever thought that is a bad thing. I believe many of us could benefit from some childish behavior.

Did you notice how the "big kids" open their gifts. They carefully loosen the bright wrapping paper, take a quick look inside the box and set aside another pair of socks or the video game they asked for. No excitement, no face-splitting smile, just a look. It's too bad. I'm guilty of this myself. Last year I left a few gifts lay on the floor of my bedroom for months before I even acknowledged their existence. Our grandson tore open a package, pulled out the Spiderman sweatshirt inside and shouted with true joy, "Who got me this, thank you SO much for getting me this!" The simple fact that someone gave him a gift was good enough for him.

But as we get older the giving, the receiving and the reason all get taken for granted.

2008-12-23T11:14:00.003-06:00

Hello. Christmas is crashing down on us. In the blink of an eye, all of the flashy displays, retail attacks on our senses and the violent shopping will come to an end. All of this to celebrate the birth of a baby in the desert a couple of thousand years ago...or so the story goes. Last night as I browsed the meaningless channels sucked in by the dish hanging from our house, a description of an upcoming program read "...the fables of Jesus birth." By definition the word fable means, "a fabrication; a short moral story (often with animals); legend, a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events." Think about it, that makes some sense.

I dislike the idea of buying gifts for people just for the sake of buying gifts. Who decided that we "owe" each other gifts at Christmas? Shouldn't we always express our feelings to the people we love or respect. After I shipped out gifts to my clients, I thought, "What the hell am I doing?" I thank them on a regular basis for their business. Does a box of chocolates and mixed nuts really mean something? I'm sure that none of the "herd" stuffing their faces in the break room at our office, give a second thought to the birth of Christ while they fill their pie-holes with the goodies left by our vendors.

I think we need to choose another day of the year to say, "thanks for being my family, friend, boss, client, mailman, hairdresser, hooker, pimp, etc." All of this tends to distract us from looking into our hearts and souls, searching for the real meaning of Christmas...whatever that may be in your world.

Peace

2008-12-19T12:02:00.003-06:00

Hello. Snow, snow and more snow. Is snow some kind of test for the folks foolish enough to live north of the Mason-Dixie line? Why do people choose to live in this crap? "I love the changing seasons." Bullshit! When you think about it, it's no wonder the Midwest is the least populated area of the country. Debilitating snowfall, freezing cold, torrential rains, devastating winds, scorching heat...then it starts over again. It makes us the "hearty souls" that we are. Or is it the grinning idiots that we are? Who wants mild temps year-round anyway?

When winter hits like this, I think back to the pioneers who trekked across the plains heading for the land of milk and honey. As a result of a bad travel agent, they happened to hit the Dakotas in January. They must have thought, "Great, the West is like the colonies only more desolate." What's even more surprising is that some of them stayed here. Come on, they did not have all-wheel drive conestogas. The Midwestern character was born.

Well, I'm going to go build my character, one shovel full of snow at a time.

2008-12-17T11:32:00.004-06:00

Hello. I've been reading a book called "Leadership and Self-Deception... getting out of the box". The book reads more like a textbook than a novel, but it did make me think. The focus of the book is on improving your leadership skills, but it hits me differently. I think it is more of a "life survival" book. I think the author is simply saying, "don't blame others or your surroundings for the state your in." Look yourself in the face and admit that you are the problem. Initially, I was the only one in our study group that saw it this way, but after some discussion, several of the members were seeing it from my perspective. The others apparently can't be that honest with themselves.

I like the direction its given me. It falls in line with many of the thoughts I've had over the past year. Look at yourself...closely. It's convenient to blame our habits on the actions of others. Convenient, but wrong! I like the idea of being in control of me. Why go on believing that you can't reach a goal because of outside influences? The author suggests that we justify our shortcomings by pointing out the shortcomings of others. This is such a downward spiral. Not only are you deceiving yourself, but you drag another person into the mire. Leave them out of it. Make positive choices of your own.

The change you make in yourself, will change those around you.

2008-12-08T15:20:00.003-06:00

Hello. Music makes a difference. We spent the weekend in Omaha soaking up the music like a biscuit on gravy. We saw eight bands in two days! Oh, to live in a city with a real music scene. It felt so good to be able to walk from venue to venue catching one original act after another. Saturday night in Benson was awash with music flowing from doorway to doorway. This quaint near-northside neighborhood is rich with venues. It was uplifting! Read more about the thriving Omaha scene in the July SPIN magazine, http://digital.spin.com/spin/200807/?pg=120.

A couple of the shows we enjoyed were benefits to raise money for toys for the children of the Pine Ridge Reservation in north central Nebraska. The rez is considered to be one of the most impoverished areas on the planet! Many of the families live in shacks with no electricity or other modern conveniences. Christmas can be very solemn for a child in these conditions. A young musician by the name of Lash LaRue organized the events. Prior to the show we watched on Sunday they had already raised over $3500 and "tons" of toys. Lash actually distributes the toys himself! It is so cool to see musicians and their fans coming together for a great cause.

The show we saw Sunday was hosted by the Blues Society of Omaha. All of the proceeds went to the children of Pine Ridge. We saw first hand how a group of music lovers can make a difference. The show was first class with a great lineup, including the Side Effects, a blues band of teenage musicians sponsored by the Society. The headliners, Mike Morgan and Jim Suhler were feeling the vibe as they filled the room with smokin' hot guitar licks. Everyone was loving the music, growing the music scene and making Christmas more special for some children worlds away. It felt cool to be part of it. Peace.

2008-12-04T16:08:00.002-06:00

Hello. Over the last few days I have been involved in "group decisions". Now, we all know how difficult it is to reach a decision in a group environment. People change as the complexion of the group changes. Two people can have a conversation and agree on a topic. But, if another person, or several more people join the conversation, at least one of the original people might change their mind. Then, if one person leaves the room, everyone might have another change of heart. Some people must not have thoughts of their own.

Then there is the person who doesn't know what they want...except to disagree. They convince everyone that they are right, and then change their position on the matter. People like this remind me of a dog chasing his tail. They spin and spin in one direction until they nip their tail and then they start spinning the other direction. I don't get it! Some people don't resolve anything. I don't want to argue with myself, the stress would kill me!!!

Ultimately, most "group decisions" end with a decision being made by an individual who lets the others think that it was their idea. Someone is always unhappy with a group decision. So is it truly a group decision?

2008-12-01T10:59:00.004-06:00

Hello. I'm back from four days with no real purpose...and I loved it! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It does not have the false pretenses associated with Christmas. Turkey Day beats out it's Summer competitors simply because it's in the Fall. If Fourth of July fell on a cool Fall day, it would give Thanksgiving a run for the top spot. A day to stop and give thanks. How pure is that? I did most of my giving thanks silently. Once again, a public profession of grace was left out of the festivities. Apparently our family members are not comfortable with each other. Have the elders forgotten how to say thanks? Next year, I'll be the one.

We all know about the folks who show up at the local food kitchens for their free meal and express their thanks. You don't have to be down and out to be thankful. Those of us who enjoy a warm home, regular meals and fine clothing should be the most thankful. The guy who waits in line for an assembly line turkey dinner, grimaces from the stench of the person sitting next to him and gets sent on his way before the football games begin has a whole lot less to be thankful for. Think about it.

Once again, I'm thankful for the people I call "friend". As long as I have this group of people to share life with, it will be good. I was watering down some Jim Beam on the third day of Thanksgiving with one of my more spiritual friends and we began discussing happiness. We both agree that people should do what makes them happy. I mean, why spend your life being pissed off? I questioned when does happiness cross the line to selfishness? My friend in all of his wisdom asked, "If what makes you happy, hurts someone else, does it truly make you happy?" Life is so simply complex.

2008-11-21T15:12:00.003-06:00

Hello. There were some young guys in the bar last night that helped make the hours go by and the tip jar more full. They were having a good time. Unlike some of their peers, they were respectful and courteous to everyone. They were pretty cool. I was surprised by some of the "old" tunes they chose on the jukebox...Tom Petty, the Beatles, even Frank Sinatra. Just young Midwestern guys hanging out, getting drunk. They also happened to be gay.

I have several friends who are gay. I was exposed to the lifestyle many years ago. I don't know if it was their age (the early twenties), or just where I'm at right now, but all kinds of thoughts filled my little brain. When did they realize they prefer men over women? Have they ever been with a woman? How difficult is their life? Are they happy? What do their parents think?

I think I know the answer to some of these questions because I know the attitudes of many people in America today. I only hope their parents love them unconditionally. They seem like good kids. Maybe a little rebellious. One of them started to bash his mother, but stopped short, out of respect for us. I caught a glimpse of pain in his face. But a sip of vodka and a long drag off his cigarette conjured up a bright smile again. We enjoyed talking and drinking with these kids into the early morning hours. I hope they enjoyed our company as well. I'd like the opportunity to ask them for answers to some of my questions. Maybe the right time will come.

Peace

2008-11-20T11:30:00.002-06:00

Hello. I attended two funerals last week. The second of those was for a good buddy who I had known since grade school. As we drove to the church, I wondered what Rod was thinking. Is he thinking, crap, I wish I could party with all of my old buddies that showed up? Is he pleased that cars are parked for blocks away from the church? Is he thinking, "What's that guy doing here, he must be up to something?" I'm sure Rod was sitting back with "that grin" on his face.

I realized that this could have just as easily been my funeral. It could have been anyone of the classmates that filled the small church. As time goes by, one by one it will be another one of us. I've never experienced these feelings at a funeral before. Maybe it's the 40-plus years that I've known this guy. Or, maybe it was the fact that he and I had lived somewhat parallel lives. Whatever the reason, it really made me think.

Life is short. I don't know if it's "too short", but it's short. I think we all need to spend our time on positive things. Wasting time with negative thoughts and actions is foolish. I've been guilty of this myself, but I'm changing my ways. We should brush away the negative people and things in our lives. We don't need it.

"Don't go bringing me down man, I'm trying to enjoy life."

2008-11-12T16:13:00.003-06:00

Hello. I am saddened by the comments aimed at Obama by ignorant rednecks. All politicians get their share of abuse, but not because of the color of their skin. Is our country still so backwoods that we can't accept the election of a black man? I was at the bar the other night and overheard a couple of guys disguised as intelligent human beings, spewing sophomoric racial remarks. I couldn't sit by quietly. I reminded them that lack of respect is a large part of the reason the country is in the shape it's in. They responded with, "Hyuk, hyuk" and went on slurping their drinks. I could almost smell the "stupid" on them.

I just visited a blog that I recently found. The author is a musician in Arizona. He has a post with a video from a Ted Nugent concert. The "madman from Detroit" is toting two machine guns and screaming..."hey, Obama, suck on one of these you punk." He then proceeds to call Obama a "piece of shit." Why is he not in jail? I am a supporter of freedom of speech, but this strikes me as a death threat. At one time, I liked Ted because of his support for the right to bear arms. After seeing this video, I have no respect for this Neanderthal. He should not be allowed to make a public appearance again. Please spread the word.

Let's not prove the rest of the world right. It's our chance to show the world that Americans aren't a bunch of uneducated hillbillies. Think.

Peace.

2008-11-10T16:20:00.004-06:00

Hello Death. You're back again. The older I get, the more you seem to hang around. Maybe I just give you a little more attention than I used to. You took a daughter and grand-daughter from some friends of mine. You make everyone sad. Your random choices are hard to understand.

I don't want to bury our kids or grand kids. These people have buried two of their children and a grandchild. Why? I wish there was an answer. I imagine it would be like someone ripping your heart from you, leaving you forever darker. Children give you pride, meaning, a reason to love and hope. In the stillness of the night, Death snuck into her bedroom and these people lost that forever.

As I sat in my office this morning thinking about the funeral today, my cell phone rattled my pocket. It was an old friend with bad news. A grade school buddy died in a car accident last night. Death was the only one there when he was thrown from his car. I'm really glad we had a few drinks together in August. He was a cool friend.

Death...you sure are busy.

2008-11-06T10:23:00.002-06:00

Hello. The political barrage is over. The country elected the most polarizing President since Kennedy. I was slinging booze at the party for the local Dems, and it was something to witness. The crowd cheered wildly when the talking heads proclaimed Obama the clear winner. People hugged, jumped from their chairs, high-fived each other and some cried. It was cool. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you should feel good about the excitement. For the first time in many years, the country might get behind our leader.

Do you think Obama gave it a fist-pump and then thought, "Oh shit, I won?!?" Every President who has been elected is under a great deal of pressure. However, I don't know that there has been a President elected in recent years with the expectations that are placed on this guy. If you've listened to any of the media over the last 2 years, you know BO can speak. Can he take this country down the right path? Time will tell.

This election brought out zillions of un-educated voters that generally sit on their couch watching re-runs instead of making the trek to the local voting hall. Unfortunately, many of the 2008 voters scribbled in the little bubble, punched the chad or pulled the lever for the wrong reason...the color of a candidates skin. If you watched the election day interviews with Joe America, most of them commented on electing a "man of color". That's sad. It should have nothing to do with your decision. We Americans can be pigs.

A good friend and spiritual voice of mine said, "For the first time in my life, I have true hope for the country I love." Peace

2008-11-04T16:03:00.003-06:00

Hello. Fog has settled in. There's too much...or not enough...dancing through the brain. Nothing seems to fit. The fingers won't listen. Sleep won't let go, but the brain won't sleep. The day of the week slips from memory. Some things feel like a worn out pair of shoes, comfortable, yet they make you ache. You have to look for the freshness in the sameness.

Peace

2008-10-28T10:18:00.002-05:00

Hello. Red Alert!!! As I was driving to work this morning I saw something very alarming...a Hispanic guy crawling out of a manhole! No shit! The "lookout" sitting on the ground caught my eye, then I noticed the manhole cover sliding back and out came a visitor from the South. It's moments like this I wish I had a camera mounted on my bean. Thankfully I had a witness or I might think I was hallucinating. I've read about the tunnels that Hispanics are using to sneak into the land of milk and honey, but who knew they would be popping up in the great Midwest. They are determined little rascals!

There is a nationally recognized holiday for the pretenders... All Hallows' Eve. All of the people who hide behind a mask every day can celebrate. For one day, it's your chance to get a buzz on and let your freak flag fly! Halloween costumes can make the weak...strong, the tame...wild and unleash the true personality in us. I see this transformation every fall, only to witness these pretenders wash off the makeup and pull the rug from their head and crawl back inside. It's sad that some people feel the need to repress their true self. Are they ashamed of who they really are? Are they afraid of who they really are?

I know that finding out who you are can be frightening. Especially if you don't like that person. We can be tricked into thinking we are the person everyone talks about. Then we look through the pupil of our eyes deep into our soul and see someone we never met before. It's that uneasy feeling you get when you meet a long lost relative. They are a familiar stranger. You might welcome them into your "home"...then again you might ask them to leave.

2008-10-24T15:30:00.002-05:00

Hello. Can karaoke singers hear themselves? For reasons unknown, we sat in a karaoke bar last night, asking ourselves this question. We were licking up whisky like reservation dogs at a picnic, and there was no noticeable improvement to the braying. I have never been a fan of this ancient Japanese art, however, I do find the phenomenon interesting. As I watched one of the "singers" last night drift about the room with a wireless mic, eyes closed, head laid back, feeling the moment like she was Streisand, I wondered if she was serious, or laughing her ass off inside. What ever the case, she bellowed out as many tunes as time would allow, savoring each flat note.

A microphone does not make someone a singer any more than a guitar makes someone a player. I think many of the people singing karaoke, realize they are bad, but it's fun when you're drunk. There is the rare karaoke-ist that can actually sing. Then there is the signature karaoke master who performs "their song" at bars all over town. Someone apparently told them that their version of "I did it my way" was good. Another unexplainable constant that I've noticed with karaoke is the number of gay participants. What's that all about?

All of these things make me scratch my head. Even as painful as karaoke can be, it remains one of the stalwarts of the drinking world. Part of the attraction must be the fact that drunk people like to laugh at each other. I'll visit a karaoke bar another time in the interest of research, but as the night slipped into the morning my senses had taken a beating. So before someone attempted to perform one of my favorite tunes, ruining it for life...we stumbled home.

2008-10-22T10:25:00.002-05:00

Hello. Is my face flush? I am basking in the glow of wonderful music! Saturday night we enjoyed an earful of Mississippi Heat. Pierre, Inetta and the band sure know how to put on a show. Carl Weathersby on lead guitar was a huge bonus! There is something that sets a performance like that apart from others. I can't put it in words. There are alot of very good bands, and then there are those that take you somewhere else. It's magical! It's interesting that even a casual listener can tell the difference.

Once again I witnessed one of the best things about live music...young converts. There were several twenty-something guests on Saturday that walked in wearing a less than enthusiastic face. It is so cool to watch the transformation. By the end of the night they filled the dance floor wearing smiles that split their faces in two. Music is a powerful thing! I love young people for their open minds. If we allow them the freedom they just might make this ball of dirt a better place.

2008-10-16T11:05:00.004-05:00

Hello and welcome to a new day. Yesterday's gone, and the day before that and the month before that and the year before that...gone. The past is, well, the past. I think it would be great if we could flush the past away like a 7-Eleven burrito the morning after. But, it lingers around, giving us heartburn...and soulburn.

A friend of mine talks about living in the now, leaving the past behind. Well that's great in theory, but the past has a strong grip on us. We relish our past glory and cry over our past mistakes. It is said that you can learn from the past. You have to stop and think about the past in order to learn from it. I know people who live in the past...some in the distant past. Some people justify their "being" on things from the past. It doesn't matter who you were, who you are today is what matters.

I try not to dwell on the past. However, now and then the past creeps into my head, kicks me in the gut and laughs. The past has popped into my brain and made me smile big! I think the past deserves a friendly handshake and a pat on the back. Now, get outta here, I've got a new friend called today I want to spend time with.

2008-10-13T16:33:00.003-05:00

Hello. Now that I've had some time to reflect on Riverssance, I've realized one of the attractions. It is the opportunity for people to wear an unusual costume and take on a new personality for a few days. I've met some of the characters outside of the Kingdom walls and many of them are very passive and withdrawn. It's interesting that behind a mask some people feel more comfortable letting their real personality shine.

I believe it's the reason some people get tattoos and piercings or join in the goth thing. It is a way for them to "create" an identity. They don't believe in themselves, so they become someone else. I think we all become someone else at times. We all need to realize the person we unleash while hiding behind a freaky haircut or strange clothes, is inside all the time. We just have to feel comfortable in our own skin...after all it's all we have. Learning this can be difficult, but when we do, life will be better.

I began to discover who I was at the age of 18, when I moved to Omaha. Nobody knew me. There were no pre-conceived notions of me. The people I met didn't know my family, the schools I went to, the trials I had growing up. I had a blank canvas to paint a picture of me. I didn't have to put up any defenses. So I did what felt good. I haven't stopped doing that since. For the most part, it's worked out OK.

2008-10-06T11:28:00.002-05:00

Good 'morrow! I've journeyed back from the Kingdom of Riverssance and I already miss it. As the Mudman put it, "Is it really 363 days away?" All of us walking the acorn-covered grounds of the Kingdom witnessed the incredible growth of a story, a leader and a group of devoted followers. It was so cool to see how propaganda in a small community could change people's minds and hearts. A group of young peasants, fairies and gypsies got behind the revolution in a way that none of us could have expected. It was another example of the power of an open mind.

Visitors to the Kingdom with the "swipe of mud" on their noses to show their allegiance to the "cause", a little baby smiling from ear to ear, the Head Bar Wench wiping a tear from her eye as she walked away from the Pub for the last time, and the fallen Friar whistling "Riverssance" as he strolled the grounds in the darkness one last time...these are just a few of the memories from the Faire. The freedom the Kingdom of Riverssance offers is the most potent element. No matter how you dress, talk or walk you are a welcome part of the Kingdom. For three days, dirty clothes cinched with a strand of twine, hair blown wild by the winds, sitting on bales of straw eating a slab of "Steve" or a turkey leg without the luxury of silver ware is the norm. Life becomes so simple.

At the end of the day, a wench, the Mudman and I sadly drove off the Kingdom grounds and made our way for "one more". As we sat in the noisy bar drinking from glass instead of a coconut shell for the first time in a few days, I realized that I had shut out today's world entirely. A football game came on the screen and I said, "Oh yeah, it's Sunday." We eventually found ourselves outside in the beer garden, enjoying the beautiful night air, sipping on ale and rye, revelling in the events of the Kingdom. I think the three of us felt a little more at "home" outside, away from the bright lights, blaring music and annoying moving picture box.

Huzzah!

2008-10-02T15:58:00.005-05:00

Hello. I'm slipping away this week. Riverssance is upon us and it's eating up most of my free time. I have been looking forward to a weekend in the Kingdom since the late afternoon rain washed the festivities away last year. It's great to be someone else in a foreign land for two days. Our merry band of peasants hope to overthrow the existing anarchy and give the Mudman his rightful place of honor as King of Riverssance.

People do not place the same importance on the events in their lives. This makes it difficult to be sensitive to another person's thoughts and desires. How do we understand the level of importance a person feels about something? To complicate things, people express their feelings in strange ways... or not at all. It seems that when I think I understand, words jump off my tongue and jab someone in the heart. Damn it, I wanted to polish those words a little before I spit them out. Listening with an open mind and holding the tongue helps. These are two difficult tricks for an old dog like me. If keep getting swatted on the nose, I'll learn.

A friend of mine was talking the other night about "living only for today". I love that notion. The past is gone, the future is unknown, so all that holds any importance is right now. We certainly can't change the past, it's done. You can debate whether we can change the future...I don't think so. I want to think about this more. I'm sure I'll be writing more on this tasty morsel.

Hip! Hip! Huzzah!

2008-09-25T15:32:00.003-05:00

Hello. I shared a late night with a good friend last night, watering down some Evan Williams, burning through a few C Notes and talking about days gone by. My late teens and early twenties seem surreal at this point in my life. When I tell someone the stories of that time in my life, the words sound exaggerated...even to me...and I know they're true. Life in the under belly of Omaha was an eye-popping experience for a kid from a small town.

I would love to meet some of the characters I ran with in the mid-seventies. There was a group of brothers and sisters that I spent hours with sharing life that I haven't seen for 30 years. It would be so cool to find out how their life turned out. For 2 or 3 years, I knew these people really well. We experienced some incredible things together. I packed my shit, moved to the Black Hills and never saw most of them again.

That is one of the strange things about life. People come in and out of your life. In some cases you share your deepest thoughts and feelings, only to be scattered. There are people out there who are your closest friends and yet a total stranger. Treasures that create your soul.

2008-09-23T15:35:00.003-05:00

Hello. It seems like I've been away forever. Our little music gatherings are so cool!! The idea of a group of music-loving friends joining forces to put on world-class live music shows is more fun than I thought possible. One of the tune-junkies said, "It's like a living room party." I agree. The vibe is great. Everyone there has one thing in common...the love of music. I think I wore out a pair of my happy feet. Thank you all for the night.

Saturday I worked a wedding reception. This is the first time I have been on the other side of the bar for one of these free-for-alls. This particular union featured some unusual contestants. I think I met 3 guys who were the brides' "father", the girl friend of the brides' father, the grooms' mother and her "friend"...and that was only those that introduced themselves. By 10:00 pm, the place was incredibly drunk, the DJ was done and everyone headed for their respective trailer parks. When do you suppose it became customary to get slobbering drunk at weddings? I think it may have its' roots in the Bible somewhere. None the less, wedding receptions have a way of showcasing the amateurs.

I know it sounds twisted, but drunk people are part of what I like about bartending. First of all, if it weren't for drunks there would be no need for bars. Beyond that, I enjoy listening to a story stumbling off of a swollen toungue. People tell you the craziest shit! I've heard laughter and seen hidden tears. We expose ourselves after a few too many wobbly-pops. I try to give these folks the attention they are seeking...and deserve.

2008-09-16T15:43:00.003-05:00

Hello. I'm recovering from 3 days of hard drinking. It takes me at least 2 days of recovery for every 1 day of drinking...you do the math. It was most enjoyable. Liquor would not be my death of choice...(to steal a phrase from the Patio). I'd rather die in a fiery car crash than drink myself to death. At least the car crash would only last a few hours, maybe a day tops. I've known people who drank themselves to death and it took years, even decades. Let's have a poll..."What is your death of choice?" Make mine peaceful sleep, thanks.

I'm jonesing for some good live music!!! I'm waiting for Friday like a dog waiting for a scrap to slip from the table. We'll get a heavy dose of world-class reggae with Les Exodus. That is one thing I miss about being involved with a club that serves up a good helping of live music. But as I've mentioned in previous entries, this town doesn't have an appetite for original music. The problem is, some people shut their mind like a little kid who won't try his green beans. You just might like them.

I know a young man who is a prime case for this theory. He had no idea who Watermelon Slim was...(you know the award-winning blues man from Tulsa).He was out celebrating his date's 21st birthday, stumbling in and out of bars. They stumbled into the middle of a Watermelon Slim jam. He has been a big fan ever since. I rattled off a list of other blues performers of equal or better talent and he knew nothing of them. After our conversation I think he'll be checking out some new tunes. I love it when someone gets turned on.

Thankfully, our little band of music junkies is working on a cure for this addiction. By the first of the year I think we'll be having 2 shows a month. A good friend of mine reminds me that together we can do anything. I believe he's correct. I feel blessed to be part of something so cool.

2008-09-10T16:42:00.002-05:00

Hello. I sat in the bar last night listening to two guys with obvious differences about politics. The Republican was proud of his party's under-handed methods used to win local and state elections. I'm not sure if he was really in the know or just drunk enough to be living in GOPFantasyLand. Either way, he was making the Democrat a little crazy. Thankfully, the Dem was cool-headed enough to blow the guy off. Uptight Republicans, laid back Democrats...how stereotypical.

If people believe something, their hearing becomes very selective. They become blinded by their party of choice. I try to be more open-minded than that. I read alot, listen to varying news channels and hope to make educated decisions. It's tricky though, because it's hard to trust anything you see or hear in the biased media. Wouldn't it be great if the media wasn't allowed to cover political campaigns. Imagine if all of our knowledge of these scarecrows came to us in person.

Naw, that would mean the candidates would have to be honest and have some substance.

2008-09-08T14:35:00.002-05:00

Hello. I have been discussing acceptance lately with friends and family. Accepting things as they are seems like a "weak" way to deal with life. But actually it makes sense. You don't have to agree with something to accept it. You don't have to like something to accept it. But, if you don't accept things that happen, you live a life of denial and confusion. Accepting your current status in life doesn't mean you can't keep trying to improve, but accepting where you live or work makes life more enjoyable. Think about it. Accepting the fact that people are different is a great way to look at life. We can't change people anyway, so why not accept them as they are.

One of the people whom I respect for their view of life told me once that very few things in life really matter. I believe this to be true. It helps me deal with many situations in life. After all, how many events in our lives really make a difference? For most of us, nothing we say or do will have any impact on the world around us. We may have some influence on our little world, but very few of us will leave a mark on the "big world". Accepting this makes swallowing the "pill of life" a little easier. I'm not suggesting we stop trying to do the right thing. I'm just saying we need to beat down our ego, and realize that we aren't all that important.

If things seem out of whack, don't worry, the world will still be spinning in the morning.

2008-08-28T15:57:00.003-05:00

Hello. The political vibe is so thick right now you can feel it all the way from the Rockies! It makes me feel creepy. Everything about it is so staged. It's a clever plot to trick all of us. Bill Clinton said really nice things about Obama last night that are the exact opposite of what he said a few months ago. Obama suddenly does have enough experience to lead our nation. Weird. And now I read today, that Friday, McCain plans to announce his VP at some rally in Ohio. One day after the big Obama speech in the football stadium. The Republicans plan on over 15,000 in attendance. These are sly people folks. Either I've never paid attention, or this political season is the most theatrical one in years. Is Francis Ford Coppola or Spielberg in the wings?

2008-08-22T09:32:00.002-05:00

Hello, I'm back. I was out of town for a couple of days. We travelled to one of my favorite places to visit, Rochester, Minnesota. I took care of some business and enjoyed some pleasure. It is such a cool town. The Mayo Clinic brings an eclectic influence that feels like Chicago or Boston, not a Midwestern town of 100,000 people.

My blog was vandalised last weekend. It's sad isn't it. Something as "free" as blogging isn't safe from thugs. Someone felt the need to put childish graffiti on the comment "walls". I scrubbed it off and changed my comments settings. Sorry, no more anonymous comments allowed. The comments were sophisticated lines like, "you suck" and "you make me puke." I guess that is to be expected since any decent person wouldn't be splattering these things on a site anyway. If I never have to justify my life by throwing stones at someone else, I will be successful.

I've spent most of my adult life chasing my dreams. This involves taking risks. One of the risks is failure. Another risk is criticism. These are risks I'm willing to take over and over again. If the option is to spend my last hours wishing I would have tested one of my ideas, I'll take the risks. While we were walking along a sidewalk in Rochester this week, I saw a saying on the front of a little antique shop. It read, " To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing."

No thanks.

2008-08-15T16:22:00.000-05:00

Hello, and welcome to payday. Children. People love them. People teach them. People learn from them. People use them. People abuse them. Some people spend years trying to have a child and others have children they don't deserve. Regardless of the life these little souls are given, they become adults.

I read a news item today about a woman who works in a Houston-area hospital as a surgical tech. She arrived at work the other day about 6:00 am as usual, hustled into the hospital and put in her shift. When she came out around 3:00 pm, she looked into her car with horror. She had "forgotten" that her 3-year-old son was buckled into his car seat in the back of the car. The poor little guy had gotten himself out of the car seat, made his way into the front seat to try to escape. He didn't make it. A closed up car can reach 150 degrees in 30 minutes. Forgotten?

I don't consciously remember anything until I was about 4 or 5 years old. Are we shaped by the events in our lives before that? I think we are born with certain traits and our childhood years definitely shape us. The child who has everything they could wish for versus the child who has everything he needs will have their unique sense of life as an adult. Then there is the child who doesn't have the bare essentials...different adult still. Some parents thought they were doing all the right things but ruined their children. Some parents spent their lives wishing they could do more for their children without realizing the wonderful things they were teaching their children.

Most of the people I call my friends had some kind of struggle as a child. We can learn from this.

2008-08-11T16:44:00.000-05:00

Hello...am I here? What a weekend! Music, bourbon, new friends and old friends...a great combination. Friday night St. Elvis played the Promenade and proved that the folks going to those shows are looking for something unique. St. Elvis did a fine job. They are great musicians in a good band. Most of their selections are cover songs which didn't reach out and touch the usually appreciative crowd. The crowd still had a good time.

T. Wilson King helped make the Club recruitment party a success. His original lyrics and savvy guitar work set the right mood for the group. I love sharing the joy in live music with people who reap the same things as I do from it. It was really cool to feel the excitement in the room. Our group has a virus and we hope to spread it throughout Sioux Town.

Then there was Alice Cooper. The show was so 1970's. It brought back memories of the shows I saw at the Omaha Civic Center in the mid 70's. In fact I saw Alice back then. The big difference as I remember it is that then he killed animals, now he's progressed to women and children. It was a little disturbing, or should I say shocking. After all he considers himself a shock rocker. He may have scarred a few of the elderly in attendance. One grey-haired lady stood at the back of the theater looking like someone pooped in her oatmeal.

Stiff upper lip, ma'am. Amy Grant is coming soon, she'll exorcise the place.

2008-08-08T14:38:00.000-05:00

Hello. Well, that week went by quick. Sometimes my mind takes on a blank stare. Too many things passing through to make sense of any of it, so the brain just crawls into the corner and drools. I have struggled for over a year to put everything in it's place. Just when things start to make sense, one event can turn everything sideways? Sometimes the events in our lives are like a house of cards, one gets out of line and they all scatter. I think a trip to another planet is in order. Time without piling on more "stuff" would be cool.

I will be stimulated by the weekend events. St. Elvis on the Promenade, then my buddy, T. Wilson King cranking out the tunes at the Club tonight. Tomorrow we are attending a gathering at the "Everyone's turning 50 Party"! Then the icing... Alice Cooper at the Orpheum on Sunday. Live music has a way of dragging my mind out of the corner.

2008-07-31T15:45:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to Rainyday. Just about every day I go home for lunch and a brief visit with the sleeping chair. I take different routes just to break up the sameness. Today, however, I saw two life happenings involving a bicycle. A mother was balancing her son on his bicycle as she pushed him along the sidewalk. She was giving all of her support to help him learn to ride his bicycle on his own. So many things went through my mind. The love between parent and child. The desire all parents have for their child to succeed. The efforts parents go to helping their child fit in. As she gave him one good push he sailed off...not pedaling a bit. They'll keep trying.

Then as I made my return trip I passed a young pony-tailed man on his bicycle. He was wearing work boots, raveled blue jean cutoffs and a well-used cap. He had a guitar strapped to his back, along with a small backpack. Decals covered every inch on the face of this guitar. He had the trappings of a traveler hanging from both sides of the bike. I imagined this free spirit making his way across the countryside, stopping when the mood strikes. His good friend the guitar keeping him company. What a wonderful way to experience this land of ours, from the slow-moving saddle of a bicycle. A look of peace beamed from his face.

With all of the crazy shit going on in our world, it's cool that people still enjoy life's simple pleasures. I smiled!

2008-07-30T15:31:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the day known as "hump". We were cleaning up the brain cell system last night and stumbled into some fun. You see, I believe in the "only the strong survive" theory. So if a little smoke and drink kills some brain cells, the weak ones will go first. You may actually becoming smarter the next time you hit that joint or chug a beer. Cool huh?

As we continued to sharpen our mental skills, we came up with a great new television game. Simply turn on one of the Spanish channels offered in your area, (most cities have a couple to choose from). Then you take turns speaking for the on screen characters. The deeper we got into the drama, the more the Spanish-speaking actors seemed to be playing along. It was hilarious. At one point this spicy little Hispanic actor licked her lips right on queue. Yet another advantage of the invasion from the south besides killer tostados.

2008-07-25T15:45:00.000-05:00

Hello. I saw two concerts this week. The first was a killer show by Jon Dee Graham. JD is a wonderful songwriter and guitar player from Austin, Texas. His gravel-toned voice and gut wrenching lyrics give your soul a firm jerk. I found myself laughing one moment and wiping a tear the next. We left the show thinking. He told a story about a recent trip to Berlin, which he described as a city with more shades of grey than he knew existed. He said he was in a down mood as he walked along a grey sidewalk and noticed graffiti on a wall that was only knee-high. The message scrawled on the wall was "I promise you a miracle." He's still waiting, but not giving up. He is confident that the message is legit. I loved his reserved optimism.

Then we went to see "an evening with Neil Diamond". What a contrast in shows! Graham was in a small bar packed with about 100 fans. Diamond was in a small event center packed with about 9,000 fans. Jon Dee Graham is as grounded as you'll ever see a performing artist. Neil Diamond is a tested superstar, taking advantage of ever stage pose he could. Neil is one hell of a performer. He has earned the right to turn his 70's guitar ballads into Vegas-style productions. Think about it. He built his star in the early seventies when people like the Stones were taking the world by the ear. Along comes this Jewish fella from Brooklyn with happy sing-along stuff like "Sweeeet Caroline...bom,bom,bom".

This week reminds me why I love music. It connects people. It moves people. Both a gritty Karl Childers look-a-like (Sling Blade), and a polished man-in-black can find a place in the world of music. One performing songs that make you wince, and one performing songs that you wake up the next day humming. Music, medicine for the soul.

2008-07-22T16:28:00.000-05:00

Hello, and welcome to my world. NEWS ALERT!!! Things aren't as they seem. Nobody is real? You never really know someone? We just know the person they want us to meet. The more you listen to people, look at people or pay attention to people, the more you realize that everyone is hiding. We are all wearing a costume, trying to disguise the being inside.

I talked a while back about how strange it would be if there was an accurate biography available about every human walking the earth. Of course there would have to be a new release every year. Imagine a library where you could check out the "book" on your best friend, your spouse or your boss. I'm convinced this would be a bad thing. If we knew everything about another person, we might not get close to anyone. We've all got something to hide, and none of us are very good at accepting each other's flaws.

Some people hide the "real" person by disguising themselves as several different people. Their disguise varies, depending on who they are with at the moment. This would be too confusing for me. I wouldn't be able to remember who I was supposed to be. I mean, I would put on my carefree costume when I was going for earnest. I'll stick with one costume for all occasions...maybe slipping on a rubber nose once in a while, just to keep it interesting.

2008-07-17T15:29:00.000-05:00

Hello. I witnessed two human phenomenons last night...a parade and fireworks. What is it with people's desire to line a street waiting to be hit by candy and beads? It has never had much appeal to me. When our kids were young we took them to the local parades. I guess we wanted them to learn the art of survival of the fittest. You would swear that piece of stale candy thrown from a float, was the last crumb of sustenance on Earth. The entire downtown was swarming with people of all ages. It was hotter than hell! Once you've seen a small town marching band, a tractor and a clown you've pretty much seen it.

The fireworks launched on the riverfront about an hour after darkness had set in. I've seen several displays over the past couple of weeks. I enjoy a good sparkle of 4 or 5 thousand dollars as much as the next guy, but I can't believe how people clamor to see this stuff. You'd think it was the second coming. They fight for parking spots, push and shove to get the best view. Then they "oooh" and "ahhh" a little and go home. What little Chinese fella thought to himself, "These crazy people will pay anything to watch me blow shit up."

A little slice of heaven.

2008-07-11T14:13:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the weekend, or simply Friday for those of you who don't have the days off. I've been thinking lately how one slip of the heart can cause ripples in your life that never end. We've all done something without a second thought to the consequences. In a bright flash of life we let our heart take the wheel. Whether it's a business deal, a friendly conversation or a romantic situation, the heart can make bad decisions. Unfortunately our heart can't be trusted. After all it can be reckless and emotional in the same beat. Our soul, our pride and our true expression is locked up in that little fist-sized thumper.

The heart lives for the moment, never thinking about the past or the future. There are times when we have to step on our heart and say, "Stop, you trouble-maker!" The more free spirited you are, the harder it is to put a leash on it. I think you need to let the love-muscle go wild, as long as it's aimed in the right direction. Stifling the heart can lead to grey hair and deep lines on your face.

They say time heals all wounds. The time has to be spent filling the heart with good things pushing out the bad. Then the ripples of tears will disappear into a life of smiles.

Peace

2008-07-08T13:31:00.000-05:00

Hello. The long weekend is over and Saturday in the Park is behind us. This is always a milestone during the summer for my family and I. We are not only involved with the Festival, we have been spectators at all 18 of them. Our kids went with us when they were young, now our grandbabies are enjoying Saturday in the Park. I guess you could say it's a family tradition.

The bands were great as usual. I have been a fan of the BoDeans for many years, so getting to finally see them was a real treat. They played a couple of my favorite songs to make the night even more enjoyable. The large tie-dyed crowd went wild when former Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh and Friends took the stage. A young player by the name of Jackie Greene stole the show with great vocals and a killer display of talent on both the guitar and the keyboards.

The event has become a home-coming of sorts for Sioux Town. Every year I get a chance to party with friends I haven't seen in a while. In fact, it seems that SITP is the only time I get to party with some of these friends. It's cool. In talking with folks over the years, I know this is true for many of the locals. It is so much more than a music festival. Every year for a few brief hours, this struggling, cow town pulls up it's tattered blue jeans, puffs up it's chest and says, "We're alright, look what we can do!".

There is no place I'd rather be on Fourth of July Saturday each year.

2008-07-01T14:13:00.000-05:00

Hello. We were at a wedding reception Saturday night and something that was said is stuck in my head. The DJ invited all married couples to the dance floor. While he played "Remember When" by Alan Jackson, he started eliminating couples by the length of time they were married. If you were married one year or less, you had to leave the floor. Five years or less, ten years or less, etc. We were on the floor for a while with over 30 years together. Eventually an elderly couple was the last two on the dance floor. They had been married 56 years. When the DJ asked the wife what the secret to such a long marriage was she said, "Don't give up."

Wow! I was shocked by the soft-spoken words of the gray-haired bride. It seems simple, but it is the answer. Don't give up when staying together gets tough. Don't give up on a love you have for each other. Don't give up on a life you've built together. I believe most married couples are faced with giving up. It's the easy thing to do. Many of my friends who are divorced wish they wouldn't have given up. The young couple who were married earlier that day, made promises "to not give up until death do us part." I hope they "don't give up."

We didn't give up.

2008-06-26T16:08:00.000-05:00

Hello. Welcome to Rainyday. I had an interesting discussion with a local wordsmith last night over a few wobblypops and some pie. This young man writes for the local entertainment rag and has had the duty of interviewing many performing artists. As he talked about his interviews for the upcoming music festival in Sioux Town, he made a comment that I found particularly interesting. He said, "The artists I've interviewed have attitudes inverse to their status in the industry. The bigger performers are really chill and the lesser-knowns cop an attitude with me." This newsman said he recently wanted to interview a local band for his paper and they rescheduled the interview several times and didn't have the "right" band members available for another attempt. He said it was easier scheduling an interview with a well-known member of the Grateful Dead.

Now, I have made this same comment about bands I've booked over the years. I have had more issues with local bands, than international touring acts. Most of the world renowned performers look at the gear you provide and say, "This is cool, let's rock." Many of them don't even do a sound check, unlike some of the up-and-comers who require hours of sound check and equipment changes.

I don't know the reason for this, but I have a theory. Perhaps all artists start out with an attitude and the successful ones realize that they won't make it very far being difficult. I guess none of us will make it very far being difficult.

2008-06-23T12:38:00.000-05:00

Hello. Well we made it through a week of grandbabies. We spent 6 days with them. Our grandson is 3 and our granddaughter is 1. This was different than when our children were that age. Our lives were so different then. My work schedule was more intense. We didn't work together like we do now. We had people at our house all the time back then. I probably spent more time with the grandbabies than I generally did with our children at that age. This did bring back good memories. Five or six days was cool, however, I wouldn't want to be raising two young children in today's world.

I take my hat off to people raising children today. It seems that as things advance in our society, there are more problems children are faced with. Technology creeps into their innocent lives stealing their childhood. Most youngsters today will never know what it's like to play a pick-up game of baseball or just sit in the sand box with a shovel and your favorite toy truck for hours. They'll never experience the joy of walking uptown with a pocket full of quarters to go to the Saturday matinee. It was those endless hours of independence and camaraderie that built the character in children for decades.

How can they learn the valuable lessons of life sitting in a dark room, alone, staring at a computer screen? Oh, they'll make good data entry people...or worse, a lone gunman on a college campus. Thank God, our grandbabies love to be outside. Even though it's demanding on the parents and others, it's worth it. I hope they never get hooked on the television or computer. The computer is evil...and that's a whole other blog.

Peace

2008-06-18T11:20:00.000-05:00

Hello. We survived the wedding. I can't straighten the little finger on my right hand, my forehead is scraped up and my right big toe aches, but otherwise everything is back to normal. I guess that's what I deserve for trying to hang with a bunch of twenty-something guys celebrating their buddy's wedding. I think everyone had a good time.

It is interesting how people react to something they hear about another person. Remember the game we played as children. We sat in a line and the person on one end of the line whispered something to the person next to them, and they whispered what they heard to the person next to them and so on. By the time the person on the opposite end received the whisper, it was usually quite a bit different than the original statement. This "game" seems to hold true with adults, only we don't do it innocently and we've dropped the courtesy of whispering.

As a result, I don't give much credibility to negative comments about others. Truth, or lack of, is a very slippery devil. A person might only be repeating their translation of the original comment. You can't fault them for that...can you? It is so easy to twist a statement into the story you want it to be, regardless of what the person really said. They might not think of it as lying, but it is. Ultimately, these people are only fooling themselves. How sad it must be, to spend your days trying to convince yourself that you're a good person at the expense of others.

The best policy is one we were taught when we were young, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

2008-06-09T10:05:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to wedding week. Our son is getting married this Saturday. There appears to be a phenomenon that takes place when a wedding is planned. Something about it turns normal level-headed beings into deaf and blind maniacs! The bride-to-be turns into a stranger with selective hearing and no patience. These beautiful young ladies have been known to growl, curse and in some extreme cases, spin at the neck and spew green slime. Everyone involved seems to be speaking in a different language. None of the family members can understand each other. It is such a common phenomenon, there have been movies made about the subject. It is a wonderful, bonding event for families to experience...if everyone lives to enjoy it.

I sat yesterday with a guy who drinks too much and works too little, but he's OK. He started talking about his marriages, two to be exact. It's not surprising that neither of these unions is still intact considering this fellas habits. He took the first one seriously, but the next one was like buying your second car. Everyone remembers their first car. This is common with everyone I know that has been married more than once. How many times can you say, "til death do us part" and actually mean it? I would not re-marry if I ever find myself making that decision.

We attended a retirement party for my oldest sister. She is 56-years-old. That's young to be retiring. She was already talking about working part-time! I don't think it's a good idea to become idle. Playing golf, fishing or worse sitting in a bar playing cards seems like a waste of time. I want to go out with a purpose. I've never planned for retirement, so I guess I won't ever retire. There must be something I can do until I fall over dead. The WalMart greeter thing is out though because of my sincere dislike for the retail monster. I'll start planning my senior career soon. Peace.

2008-06-05T15:29:00.000-05:00

Hello, and welcome to Rainyday, otherwise known as Thursday or Golf League Day. Now, I'm not a huge golf fan, but I do enjoy riding around in the cart, drinking tequila and playing a little pasture pool. We started league in April and it's rained some every single night. So, I've decided to rename Thursday, Rainyday. I hope you're all cool with that.

On Tuesday, there was a big vote held in Union County, South Dakota which is about 6 or 7 miles from Sioux Town. The locals were deciding the fate of a 400,000-barrel-a-day oil refinery. The yes votes outnumbered the no votes to change the zoning for the 3,300 acre plot of land they want to build this thing. I understand the sentimental reasoning for voting no, but let's face it, this is a chance of a lifetime for a community. I can understand a 70-year-old farmer saying, "What do I care about economic development, I want my peace and quiet." But, long-term, this could be huge for our little piece of the world. It will be the largest building project in the U.S. for several years. Thanks to all of you who have the vision to vote yes for this deal. And for those who voted no, you made a valiant effort, but now stand aside and grin and bear it.

2008-06-02T16:30:00.000-05:00

Hello Monday. Man, I love outdoor music festivals. It's like a lot of things, it just tastes better outside. A group of my fellow music freaks went to the booming metropolis that is Hawarden Iowa this weekend for the first annual "Dry Creek Music Festival". It was real cool. Eight hours of live music, 5 bands, cold beer, good bourbon and good friends. It's amazing what a few bucks and a strong effort by a determined group can accomplish. I hope it worked for the town, because we are already planning the trip next year.

Music is so powerful. I have made connections with other music junkies simply from our common taste for Americana music. It is very cool. I am not going to waste my time trying to force feed people this flavor of music. You can't change them. I want to join fellow Americana music lovers and put on our own shows. It's more of my plan to do what I like to do. I like good blues, roots rock, zydeco, rock-a-billy, reggae...you know Americana. This group of freaks like good Americana. Hey, I think we can make something happen here. The wheels are in motion.

The bands at the festival were at different stages of their respective careers. This is common with most shows you go to. From the local guys that kicked off the day to the international touring headliner, the talent was obvious. This is how it should be. Something very cool happened during the headliner's set. The players from the Kris Lager Band (third on the bill), stood next to the stage looking on with awe as Bernard Allison and his world-class band burned their way through 90 minutes of smoking hot blues/rock. They were soaking in every drum beat, guitar lick and keyboard stroke that the masters laid down. It's no wonder Kris and his band are climbing the ranks of the music business with class. It won't be long and they'll be headlining and some other young guns will be watching their every move. Peace.

2008-05-29T16:07:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the day after RATSO. It's easy to become overwhelmed with "stuff". You offer to help with one thing and that turns into another and the next thing you know, you're waking up saying, "What the hell was I thinking." We are all different. Some people never get involved. They sit on the edge and watch the madness. I've never been able to do that. I always feel guilty when someone else is "making things happen" for the benefit of others. I get bored easily so I have to do something. When it gets to be too much I sit back, tell myself it will all be good and jump into something else. Sick, sick, sick.

Have you ever noticed that some people just aren't happy unless they are unhappy. It's weird. Some people live to have controversy in their lives, even when it doesn't exist. I don't understand voluntarily going to a bar or restaurant and then bitching the whole time they are there. I stay away from people and places that I'm not comfortable with. There are enough things to be genuinely unhappy about, we don't need to add to the list.

I work on the Saturday in the Park committee and I've watched the main man over the last few years. This guy started the festival 18 years ago. It has become one of the largest and best festivals in the Midwest. The big kahuna keeps his fingers in all aspects of the event. It appears to piss some committee members off at times. I think he has the right to say and do whatever he wants. It's his "festival balls" that are on the line. When the civilians of Sioux Town take potshots at the festival, they are always addressed, "Mr. Bernstein". That's what comes with getting involved. The more involved you are, the more you are exposed to criticism. All you can hope for is that they remember your name when they have something good to say.

Peace.

2008-05-23T14:16:00.004-05:00

Hello and welcome to the beginning of summer. My mind has been busy lately. I think it is much healthier for us to stay busy. They say the lack of mental stimulation is the leading cause of Alzheimer's disease. It makes sense that if we don't use it we'll loose it. I know the more I drift along the more drain bed, er, brain dead I become. I've been in a funk for the last year or two.

I've started focusing on the things that I "want" to do. It's so much easier that way. Wouldn't we all be more productive if we did things we enjoy? I've given some thought to this, and I believe a person can make a living doing almost anything that you enjoy. You can be a flavor sampler or a chef and make a living eating. You could be a brewmaster or wine maker and make money drinking. You could be a prostitute and make money having sex. The key is you have to "do" something. It's pretty tough to earn the green sitting on your ass doing nothing.

Enjoy the long weekend. Peace.

2008-05-14T16:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome to James McMurtry Day in my world. YAY! We went with a group of fellow music lovers to a McMurtry show in Omaha last night. I really like taking these music road trips! When I was bringing acts to Sioux Town on a regular basis, we weren't traveling as much to get our live music fix. For now, we're "on the road again," and it's cool. McMurtry was great as usual, and the opening band, the Dedringers put on a killer show. The Dedringers are three young guys from Austin, Texas. Check them out. Hey, we didn't even lose anyone this time.

The website my son and I have launched is up and running, http://www.nightlifesux.com/. I'm really happy with the number of hits. It's our goal to become the source for entertainment info in the Siouxland area. There actually is a lot going on in Sioux Town, you just can't miss many of the events.

How about the guy from Georgia selling t-shirts with Curious George and a reference to Obama on the front. This guy is SO backwards, he doesn't think he's done anything wrong! His thick hillbilly accent made it difficult to follow his comments, but near as I could tell, he just thinks the curious one looks like Obama. "His beeg eeyers an' the dad-gummed harline look just like that there Obama fella, I hain't got nuttin again him." The South is gonna rise again...yeah right.

Let's revolt. That's what America is built on, people standing up for what they believe. That's how it all began with those crazy thirteen colony guys. Let's stand up together and say, "There's more of us than you, so here's what we want." We could start with the lack of a decent choice for president. I mean, of the millions of people in America, these scarecrows are the best we have? All we need is a great American to lead this revolution.

2008-05-07T14:52:00.000-05:00

Hello. Do you ever feel like just drifting away, spending the rest of your days doing whatever you want? I asked myself..."if you could do anything for the rest of your life, what would it be?" The answer is that I would be a promoter, a booking agent, and devote time to creating art again. I wonder if I can make a living doing this. Many people around the world do.

This is an interesting concept. The concept of living our life the way we want interests me. Live where we want and do what we want everyday sounds really good. After all, we can live, work and play anywhere we want to. There is nothing stopping any of us. Of course money is a factor. It can certainly determine the type of lifestyle a person leads. But, if you were doing what makes you happy, genuinely happy, every day, wouldn't it be worth something? I think it would be worth a lot!

I followed my dreams most of my adult life. Unfortunately, I didn't stay true to them. As I look back, had I stayed true to the original dream, I think I would be real close to reaching the goal. It's not too late. I wandered a little. That's easy for someone with my personality. I learned a few things while I was off the path. I think the plan for the future is simple. Do what makes me happy. Do what I set out to do. After all, life's too short.

2008-05-02T16:05:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to the weekend. Our son turned 25 years old yesterday. Our daughter turns 27 Tuesday. Wow, does that give you something to think about. I golfed with the boy last night and as I watched him, I thought, what's my little boy doing in this young man's body and mind. Funny isn't it, your children grow up to become "adults". They have their own opinions, they deal with situations in their own way. I guess all you can hope as a parent, is that you've influenced them in some positive way as they leave their path down life's dirt road.

The golf league we are in has an interesting mix of guys. Everything from late teens to early 70's in age. I've noticed that the young guys aren't the same animals that we were in our twenties. They are all hanging around the clubhouse watching the clock making statements like, "This better be my last one, I have to be home soon." Quite a few of the guys have their wives or girlfriends meet them in the clubhouse after they finish golfing. Hell, when we were their age, any talk of needing to be home didn't start until 1:00 or 2:00 am. Maybe this generation saw the damage when they were growing up, and have decided they don't want that in their lives.

I think it's for the best. Hopefully our country will be better with these young people making more stable decisions. I have often thought the younger generation is more of a "ME" society. But I'm realizing that some aspects of their lives are very "WE". Maybe it's their concern about themselves that drives them to do the "right thing".

I believe that our generation is a "WE" society, but sometimes that might not be a good thing. We may have been so concerned with doing what's right for the whole, that we overlooked what is right for the people close to us. I've never wanted to become too deeply involved in other people's lives. It seems like a way to keep things in the larger sense at peace. Maybe we're not a "WE" generation after all.

2008-04-29T11:03:00.000-05:00

Hello. We went to my sister-in-law's wedding last weekend. It was the second time around for both contestants. I think the vows for a person's second marriage should be different than the first. After all, if it's your second trip to the alter, "til death do us part" should be replaced by "til my spouse does something really stupid, do us part." And they should probably just leave out all of the promises.

There is a reason Sioux Town has a smaller population than it did 100 years ago. The people are content to celebrate in mediocrity. What the locals consider a success, would be considered a failure in most communities. They would rather complain about business being slow, or nothing cool happening than to do anything about it. When they are presented with an opportunity to change things they slunk off into the corner and rub their nickels together.

It's sad when the area proclaimed by the local spin doctors to be the "entertainment district" of Sioux Town is shut down 2 or 3 days a week. Drive through Historic Fourth Street, previously known as Lower Fourth Street, on a Sunday or Monday. You'll find most of the businesses closed. Of course this is true after 11:00 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as well. Yet when these entrepreneurs are presented ideas to improve their traffic flow, they grumble, "things are so slow, I can't spend any time or money right now." Well, before long, you'll have plenty of time.

Another sad statement in town is how poorly many events are supported. When entertainment choices are brought to town, the majority of the citizens decide to sit at home and huddle around their favorite reality show. Apparently these people don't want a real life of their own, so they live through some washed up celebrity learning to ballroom dance, or trying to lose more weight than the other washed up celebrity. Maybe you should try to lose weight yourself.

Our friends and family are the only thing that has kept us here all these years. Unfortunately that doesn't keep the wolves away from the door. I can't sit back with the others and watch the tumbleweeds blow in. It might be time for me to take the next stagecoach out of town.

2008-04-24T10:34:00.000-05:00

Welcome. Lately, I have witnessed quite a few adults acting like 12-year-olds. Personally, I stopped passing notes and making up stories about someone "that made me mad", in grade school. If I have a bitch with someone, I meet with them in person and lay the shit on the table. No phone calls, emails or word-of-mouth. Some people don't have the cahonies! They tell tales behind people's backs, hiding behind the mask of "he said, she said, I didn't say that, blah, blah, blah." How do they shave both faces in the morning?

I have realized recently that I need to deal with my own problems the same way. When I have an issue with me, I need to confront it head on. I'm not going to tiptoe around my feelings just to make me look good to myself. I have to throw the shit in my face, deal with it and move on. Life is too short to play games. We are human, therefore we make mistakes. We become less human if we can't admit that.

As I mentioned a while back, life's situations separate acquaintances from true friends. Over the last few days, our friends have stepped up, and shown what friendship means. Trust, support and understanding. They renew my faith in humans. I hope that I am able to repay them many times over.

2008-04-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

Hello, and welcome to a cloudy mind. Between health-related events, drinking events and more health-related events, I've basically missed the last ten days or so. Mix a few days off from work, one of our notorious road trips and drug-induced naps from the doc, and I feel out of whack. I'm just trying to focus on one thing at a time today. Trying to re-align my thoughts.

Versed is a strange drug. They tell me you are not completely under, but I lost half of the day yesterday. One minute I hear a nurse say, "you're going to feel a little stick...". The next thing I know, I'm waking up to a whirlwind of voices in a different room. I had a really nice nap once I crashed in my sleeping chair at home. Thank God, the test went as expected and the results were good.

I had a discussion with a friend the other night. It was based on this question. Is life a journey, or a destination? He thinks that if you believe in God, life must be a destination since heaven is the ultimate destination. Now, I must tell you, he considers himself an atheist. I have certainly lived my life with the emphasis being on the journey. I have not lived my life worrying about the end. I never planned for tomorrow or the distant future very well, let alone the after life. That being said, I do consider myself a man of faith. Faith in something. Faith is a way for me to live with my weaknesses.

"We all need something to lean on."

2008-04-10T10:29:00.000-05:00

Hello, I'm back amongst the living. My body was invaded by aliens. They crawled into my nose, hung out in my sinus and slimed my throat and chest. After 2 days of drugs, sleep and more drugs, I think they have started to run off. I've been spitting them into the sink all morning. Nasty little buggers they are.

Thankfully I feel better today. I was weak. It's strange how you go from feeling great to awful in a matter of hours. The good thing about getting sick is that it makes you appreciate feeling good. If we never got sick, we'd start to take our health for granted. We should say thanks, every morning for good health. Some people deal with health problems every day, my heart goes out to them.

Speaking about feeling great to awful in a matter of hours, I want to clear up some confusion about my involvement with the Chesterfield. I no longer have ownership in the Chesterfield. I released my shares, about 9 months ago. Because I still want the bar to be successful, I continued to help with the radio, print and internet marketing. I also booked a few bands in the Chesterfield during that time. Unfortunately, my pay for this has been false accusations and public ridicule. So, with a mix of regret and pleasure, I have decided to stop donating my time.

Alas, all good things must come to an end.

2008-04-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

Hello. It's BEAUTIFUL outside! What a great way to head into the weekend. Maybe Spring is finally here. Warmth and sun have a way of making a bad day better. Now I can start walking and biking again, yeah!

Well, these creatures stumbling around this planet that we refer to as "humans", continue to make me scratch my head. What motivates people? Why do people say and do mean things? I have generally taken things with the "proverbial grain of salt". Never giving mean statements a second thought. But I'm trying to listen and "feel" things on a deeper level. Boy, does that sound sappy! It's just not me. I think I should, but when I do, I just get pissed off. It's so much easier to say, "oh well, they didn't mean it."

I have always believed that everything will work out in the end. Now, I'm wondering when the "end" is. I mean, I want to enjoy it when these mean people get their justice. If I'm just dust in the wind at the "end", I still want to giggle a little and say, "See, I told you so." I have found that it really blows mean people away when you're nice to them. Most of these people think they are really sly. SURPRISE, you're not fooling anyone!

I've been the mean person myself. Maybe more often than I know. I don't want to be that guy. I'm keeping a close eye on me. I have seen a t-shirt that I must have. It simply states in large block letters... MEAN PEOPLE SUCK!

2008-04-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hello. I'm SO MAD! I have recently heard of people telling lies about something I supposedly did. Now, I've done plenty of bad things in my life. If someone chooses to slam me as a result, I deserve it. But, when I'm being accused of things I didn't do, I get very pissed off! I don't understand why people talk about others behind their back. When it's not true it makes even less sense. I've always felt that if someone has a problem with something I've done or said, they should come to me in person. That's how I try to handle things. Some people just aren't strong enough apparently. It's easier for them to spread lies to others than to face me.

I've been on this planet for almost 50 years, so obviously, this is not the first time this has happened. I doubt if it will be the last. I deal with these things head on. I confront the person, or persons face to face. It can become very uncomfortable. You know some people thrive on this crap. Some people live through other people's life issues. I guess it's because they don't have a life of their own. The last thing I need is to involve myself with other people's problems.

Over the years, I have bitten my tongue, to avoid making someone else look bad. I don't think it's my place, or anyone else, to make derogatory statements about other people. Unfortunately, some of the people I have "protected" are the first ones to slam me behind my back. Sioux Town is a small town. Word travels fast. I think people tend to forget this. They say or do something, and then realize..."Oh shit, who was looking or listening?!" I'm guilty. I've done this a lot less in the last 25 years or so, but every now and then I slip. Sometimes I make a huge slip. I've really been making a conscious effort lately to think before opening my mouth or making a decision. It's definitely better to say nothing, than something you'll regret later.

I don't look forward to dealing with these things, but I have to make my position known. It generally puts a strain on the relationship I have with the person. It could even end the relationship. But, over the years, things like this have separated acquaintances from true friends. I know who my true friends are.

2008-03-28T16:07:00.000-05:00

Hello...I can see the weekend from here! It's kind of cool. For quite a few years, the weekend meant two more days of working the bar, usually tougher than the week days. In fact, I didn't even really know one day from the next, they were all the same. Now I look forward to the weekend. I do really miss the bar though. Some day...soon I hope, I'll be running a live music club again. I have no desire to run a common bar, but a cool, original live music club...YEAH!

Lately, I look forward to any time that I'm at home. I try to hang everything on the door post when I'm at home. It's our little world. I guess that's the way home should be. I just don't have a home in the night scene right now. There isn't a bar that feels like I belong. I belonged at the Attic until it blew up in my face. The Chesterfield became a job, not a labor of love. I loved the music, but it never felt right. Everyone had their own agenda. It didn't feel like "all for one". I do still enjoy partying with some of the people there.

I was talking to some blues musicians from Sioux Falls last week. They were asking about playing Sioux Town. I told them the Chesterfield was going with heavy metal and cover bands, so I didn't know if there were many opportunities for them. They both shook their heads and said, "...well, if it pays the bills." It makes me sad. I know there are some true music junkys out there. The right home for us just hasn't come along yet. Someday...maybe, someday.

2008-03-24T15:44:00.000-05:00

Life goes on. It just keeps drifting by. I feel like I'm trying to tie off to the dock, but I'm never quick enough. I want to make it stop. Stop long enough, so that nothing happens... nothing. Then I could choose to jump back in or not. Like the TV commercial where everything freezes in time and one guy keeps on living, or at least going through the motions. Remember when we were kids and played freeze tag? That's what I wish I could do to everything and everyone around me. Maybe then I could think things through and come up with a good life plan. When everything keeps spinning, I can't jump on. I never was very good at jumping on the moving merry-go-round without falling down.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to watch your life like a TV series? You know, sit in a nice comfy recliner and see your life from an objective point of view. It might scare the hell out of you. It might make you very sad. I'd like the chance to see my life for myself. I've had my life thrown in my face quite a bit lately and it's not how I remember it. Too bad I'm not just an actor who can cancel a series, and recreate himself in the next big hit show. It probably wouldn't work anyway. You know, I mean, Bruce Dern has always been a bad guy since his days on Gunsmoke. Hell, maybe life is just a TV series, like the movie "The Truman Show" with Jim Carey.

If it is, I want a re-write for my character before the finale.