All in all its just another...

Have you read about Apple "bricking" (making them useless) iPhones with a firmware update? Apple has said there is nothing they can do You will need to buy a new iPhone. Would I be upset about that!!! If you added any kind of third part application, BRICK! If you tried to free your phone so that you wouldn't have to pay uncompetitive phone rates, BRICK! I have less of a problem with the latter but this type of ploy solidifies my position on the iBrick. "Please turn your mind off sir, Mr. Jobs will tell you what you need." Style over substance...a truly sad American legacy. NFW...give me substance AND style and you have me; instantly. Give me just style and you insult my intelligence. I think the American auto industry has been paying for this lesson for a long long time. Apple too is paying...

To all my friends and loved ones, I love you more.

I can't Imagine

I wonder what John Lennon would say or sing about the world today? What would be his spin on terrorism? Just wondering....

To all my friends and loved ones, I love you more.

In a New York Minute

I ended up doing something on Sunday that I never anticipated. I went to a funeral service up in Wisconsin for a fraternity brother that was killed in a tragic motor vehicle accident. The accident occurred at 7:00 A.M. and Don was apparently on his way to work. Eyewitnesses said he appeared to be reaching for something on the floor or seat and swerved into an oncoming semi; small mistake with a tragic outcome. Cell phone would be a good guess. I've done it myself and on the way up to the service I saw a woman in a mini van do the same thing right in front of me. Fortunately for me and the driver yesterday there wasn't any oncoming traffic when we went into the other lane.

I hadn't seen Don for about 4 years. My lasting memories include how smart I thought Don was; how funny he was and how, after drinking as much alcohol in college than I will probably drink in a lifetime, once out of college he never touched another drop. That takes fortitude. I loved the guy and I am sorry I hadn't seen him more recently. He was, by all accounts, a dedicated family man; a good man, a good friend, a good co-worker. The service was packed with people that Don had touched at some point in his life including his lovely family. His is a legacy of showing love and being loved. He definitely died too young at age 55 but he had it down.

The following is an excerpt from Don Henley's "New York Minute"

In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute
Things can get pretty strange
In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute

Lying here in the darkness
I hear the sirens wail
Somebody going to emergency
Somebody's going to jail
If you find somebody to love in this world
You better hang on tooth and nail
The wolf is always at the door

In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute
Things can get a little strange
In a New York Minute
Everything can change
In a New York Minute

And in these days
When darkness falls early
And people rush home
To the ones they love
You better take a fool's advice
And take care of your own
One day they're here;
Next day they're gone

I know this to be true...that is the way it is. Tell the ones you love that you love them at every opportunity. Appreciate the time you have with them...it's borrowed. Every angry moment is poorly spent. I know I have written this before but these life changing events have a way of hammering these points home.

To all my friends and loved ones, I love you more.

Thanks Don.

Physician, Heal Thyself

I have a pediatrician friend (Dr. JS) that is struggling. First of all, the responsibility that comes with being a pediatrician is difficult for me to imagine. By all accounts, he is a dedicated, fabulous doctor. I know for a fact that he's brilliant. Yet, despite that, he can't seem to help himself from his own personal hell.

I won't go into all details as to why I say he is struggling but suffice it to say I am extremely worried that he will just have the "grabber" and we'll lose him. In the meantime, he is so miserable that those that call him friend find it easier to just stay clear of him. This, of course, leads him to lament his lack of friends. Note to JS...you are driving them away.

He hates his job and has for quite a while. The medical profession is not as lucrative as it once was. Still, I know he earns more money than most Americans ever dream of making. He hates his life. He works way too hard. He takes pride in telling me that he sees more patients than anyone in the sizable clinic group that he is part of. If I'm not mistaken this is a choice he has made. He points to that fact that he needs the money, which is bullshit. All I ever get from him is "negative, negative, negative", "poor me, poor me, poor me". It's hard to take. To quote a line from Jackson Browne "It's whatever it is you see that life will become". He has created his own personal hell and unfortunately his family and friends have to endure the heat to have contact with him. Ahhh...no thanks. Life is too damn short. Note to JS...think about that Jackson Browne line. The mind is a powerful thing....

My belief that there are basically two ways to look at your life and that only one of these ways is healthy.

1. Be grateful and appreciative for that which you have. (Mostly positive)
2. Always be disappointed because of things that you don't have. (Never positive)

JS is a #2. We were playing golf a while back at one of the most beautiful courses in the US and while we were playing he was lamenting the fact that he doesn't get to play much golf. Huh? Could you at least enjoy the golf you ARE playing and bitch after we're done. That is whacked but shows that he is unable to enjoy anything. Ugly.

I think that I am a #1 all the way. When I didn't have $10 to my name, I can't remember feeling any different than when I had a bank full of money. I guess I choose to get to content no matter what. I am grateful that my makeup allows me to make that choice. I realize it's not that easy for many people, my friend Dr. JS included. Broke and happy ain't that bad. Rich and unhappy has to suck as much as poor and unhappy. Money and things just don't get it done. If you think they do, you need a new road map.

If you think you are a #2, figure out a way to turn it around. Perspective can be a wonderful thing.

I realize this is a very complicated situation but I needed to vent a little. I have no tolerance for self defeating behavior. At the same time, I love my friend and his suffering wife and would love for him to begin to enjoy his family and the rest of his blessings. I have purchased a couple of self help books that I am going to give him for his birthday. I don't care if he gets angry with me or sloughs off my attempt to wake him up. I feel I need to do something. Note to JS...you have many that love you. If you don't turn things around you will continue to be lost to them.

I got the music in me

I have been thinking about this idea for some time but it wasn't until Layla, one of my favorite reads, did a post on song lyrics that I kicked it in gear. Thanks Barb.

Music is a major part of my being and I am proud of that. One of the rewards has been music that has touched me or made me think. The first lyrics I am going to bring in here contains the line that I always write on wedding cards and really sums up what any kind of love should be about. I'm not going to identify the name of the song in this post, the artist or the line I mentioned . I'll leave that for you experts out there. No googling!! Either you know it or you don't. If you must google, don't make a guess until we have an honest answer.

I love this...and I have many more

Boy of mine
As your fortune comes to carry you down the line
And you watch as the changes unfold
And you sort among the stories you've been told
If some pieces of the picture are hard to find
And the answers to your questions are hard to hold

Take good care of your mother
When you're making up your mind
Should one thing or another take you from behind
Though the world may make you hard and wild
And determine how your life is styled
When you've come to feel that you're the only child
Take good care of your brother

Let the disappointments pass
Let the laughter fill your glass
Let your illusions last until they shatter
Whatever you might hope to find
Among the thoughts that crowd your mind
There won't be many that ever really matter

But take good care of your mother
And remember to be kind
When the pain of another will serve you to remind
That there are those who feel themselves exiled
On whom the fortune never smiled
And upon whose life the heartache has been piled
They're just looking for another
Lonely child

And when you've found another soul
Who sees into your own
Take good care of each other

WHAT????

The last concert we attended was an event I was really looking forward to. I had never seen the Allman Brothers and now I finally had tickets to see them at the Rosemont Theater. Ooooooo...should be good in a smaller theater style venue. The current band features a couple of great guitar players in Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks so this promised to be especially tasty.

Well, I have now seen the Allman Brothers but I'm not sure I still have ever heard them play. The sound was horrid. We were 5 rows away so maybe we were too close. I walked all around the venue. Nope. The sound sucked throughout. Not even my special concert ear protection helped at all. I could see the guys playing but could only catch faint pieces of the audio. A loud muddy mess. We tried to gut it out but sitting in the mind numbing din became too much. We walked out. We were not alone. We saw many diappointed patrons heading to the doors early.

I have been fortunate to see many concerts. Prior to this I had never left one early (although I would have left Liza Minelli had it not been a business function). I should have left the only Stevie Wonder concert I ever went to for the same reason I left this one. We could not even make out a single one of Stevie's songs.

Oh well...great musicians, lousy technicians...who knew?

What concert or show surprised you by being awful? Which was much better than you thought?

The Irony of Stolen Police Tickets

In one of my previous posts I made mention of seeing The Police at Wrigley Field. I would have to say it was the best concert "surprise" of the summer. I don't know what I expected but it exceeded my expectations and it was cool sitting in the outfield but the events leading up to the concert proved to be more interesting than I had hoped.

I had purchased some extra tickets for my kids and my one niece. The day before show I went to the place where I put the tickets for my niece and they were gone. It was immediately obvious to me that they were stolen in the great guitar heist. Bastards! Now what? Well, I found the online receipt for the tickets and my wife decided to call, Live Nation, the promoter. Let me say this, the customer support at Live Nation was awesome. They could see that I had purchased the tickets and offered to void the originals and leave valid tickets at will call. Excellent!!

My wife thought that we should call the local police (the man, not a local knock off band) and let them know about the tickets because maybe they would be interested to meet the folks that showed up with the now invalid tickets. Sounded logical to me...Once again, we were totally underwhelmed with how indifferent they reacted. They could not have cared less. WTF. Are these the same public servants that get nuts over whether or not your license plate sticker has expired? Am I wrong to be disappointed as to how my local law enforcement dollars are being spent?

My only wish at that point is that the thief and his girlfriend showed up at the show only to be turned away. I will probably never know if he sold them or tried to use them but somebody got turned away. Small pleasure for me.

After all of that, my wife and I, the kids and my niece all enjoyed the show. Big pleasure for all of us.

Rededication

I have been flogging myself for not writing...so I am going to rededicate myself to my amateur journalism activity. I really do enjoy it. Running around a lot this summer made for a convenient excuse but that's all it was, an excuse. I am going to plug my blog into my life for a while and see what kinds of drivel I can come up with for all you welcome visitors.

It's raining like mad here lately. Some rain is tolerable...lots of rain is not. The flowers and the grass look as if they might disagree with me on that.

Somebody finally got ahold of my credit card numbers and started with all kinds of random charges. Really wierd. I caught it early. Card is done...shredder time. I dislike crooks.

Never got the guitars back...never heard from the local police. The last time I called them, the officer was perturbed that I called. Hey Kojak...you work for me. Be polite. Is that too much to ask? I guess so...

Teaser warning!!!

Tomorrows story...the case of the missing "Police" concert tickets...

Now I must get back to the self flagellation...

A welcome overdose of guitars

Yesterday we went to the Crossroads Guitar Festival which was held near Chicago.

What a long, wonderful day. Here's a local review and another and yet one more.

The gates opened at 9:00 A.M.; the first act went on at noon and the last song ended at 11:00 P.M. The breaks between artists were minimized by a turntable type stage. While the players were playing out front the roadies were roading out back. Next act...flip the switch...lets go. I would say we didn't wait more than 5 - 10 minutes for any of the changes. Here's a quick report card on the day...

Venue - B

I'd never been to a concert at this new soccer stadium before. It's new. The parking was good, the Bridgeview police handled the traffic in and out fairly well which is always a plus. Plenty of concession stands. However, someone badly miscalulated how much water and food would get consumed by all day rockers. They did eventually get some water in there but it was scarce for a while. True to form, the venue did not run out of $6 beers and I would bet there were 4 beers swilled down for every bottle of $4 water. I drank one beer because there was no water and got an immediate headache. I don't really drink at concerts as my beer intake here indicates.

The food was above average. They added some food stands in the guitar village. Among other vendors, a famous Chicago Rib Joint (Robinsons) was there and it was killer good. Food stands were eaten out of house and home at around 6:00 P.M. They once again recovered by bringing in some additional food a little later. Overall, a nice recovery.

I loved the seats we had. At the first Crossroads show in Dallas, the seats are bleachers...not good for the back. This was a modern plastic molded seat with a back! Deluxe.

The staff in the concessions, guest services and security all should be commended. Those concessionaires worked their butts off.

Sound - C

Overall very disappointing. I walked around the venue to check the sound at different locations and there was not a great improvement anywhere. Loud. Yes. Ear protection at times proved very comfortable. I woulda thought with this kind of lineup that the production techs might have done better. Outdoor venues are tough so maybe cutting them a little slack is in order.



Artists - A++ and a gold star

Wow. Virtuosos in all shapes, sizes, genders, races, ages, genres...wow. Bill Murray was really good as the emcee. Pretty good shtick.

Blew me away - Jeff Beck with his 16 year old daughter playing bass. No, not just playing the bass, shredding it like dear old dad does on his Strat. Beck's closing number was a take on the Beatles "A Day in the Life" and I wanted him to play it again immediately. I can't wait to get the DVD so I can see and hear that again.

Derek Trucks and his lovely wife Susan Tedeschi. Derek is virtuoso and Susan is right there. They need to start breeding virtuoso children now!

B.B. King is 81 years old. I have had the pleasure of enjoying BB a number of times. He did great for a guy his age and the crowd had a love fest with this legend. I ate it up knowing that B.B. is getting up there in age and we are lucky to have him at this point.

Albert Lee is just plain fast on those frets. Whoa! The whole "country" set with Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, Allison Krauss and Union Stations Jerry Douglas was excellent. EC jumped in on the finale with "Tulsa Time".

Steve Winwood was a treat. I have seen EC many times and the tunes that they did together for the show were highlight material for me. I never knew Winwood could handle a guitar so well. His work on "Dear Mr. Fantasy" glued me to my seat (with the back!). EC was EC and that's always a treat.

Others of note...Robert Randolph...I've seen him do better. The sound sucked for his set. Johnny Winter looks frail. He rocked it though. Sonny Landreth...knows his way around the neck. John Mayer...the real deal...the kid can play.

If you like guitar players, playing or music at all...wait for the DVD and snap it up. If you haven't seen the original Crossroads DVD get that one as well. You won't be sorry. Put on your favorite band or concert t shirt, pretend you paid $4 for a bottle of water and have a good time.

The Great T Shirt Game
My wife, M, and I decided to make a list of all the "band" T shirts we saw throughout the day. Holy crap! Concert goers love dem T's. The list is below. Unbelievable amount of T's

AC/DC

Aerosmith

Alabama

Alice Cooper

Allman Brothers

B.B. King

Beatles

Black Crows

Black Sabbath

Blues Brothers

Bob Dylan

Bob Marley

Buddy Guy

Counting Crows

Cream

CSNY

Dave Mathews Band

Dicky Betts

Doors

Doyle Bramhall

Eric Clapton

FogHat

Frank Sinatra

Frank Zappa

Godsmack

Gov't Mule

Grateful Dead

Green Day

Guns N' Roses

Hound Dog Taylor

James Gang

Jeff Beck

Jerry Garcia Band

Jimi Hendrix

Jimmy Buffett

John Lee Hooker

John Lennon

John Mayer

John Prine

Johnny Winters

Jonny Lang

Keith Richards

Kiss

Led Zeppelin

Les Claypool

Little Charlie and Night Cats

Los Lobos

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Madonna

MegaDeath

Metalica

Moby Grape

Motley Crue

Neil Young

Nirvana

Page & Plant

Paul McCartney

Pearl Jam

Phil Lesh

Phish

Pink Floyd

Prince

Robert Cray

Robert Johnson

Robert Plant

Roger Waters

Rolling Stones

Santana

Sonny Landreth

Steve Earle

Steve Miller

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Vai

Stone Temple Pilots

Stray Cats

Sublime

Supertramp

System of A Down

The Band

The Benders

The Blasters

The Clash

The Police

The Who

Tom Petty

Trailer Park Boys

Umphreys McGee

Van Halen

Willie Nelson

Z Z Top

90 of them and there had to be more.

Frank Sinatra?

This made me smile

I saw this as a signature on an e-mail I received this morning.

Politicians & Diapers.
Both Need To Be Changed,
And For The Same Reason.

I couldn't agree more.

Taking a few minutes from my crazy schedule to check in...running in all directions and enjoying the trip...cool picture huh?

All is well here...no guitars, no kids in custody, oh well...I've moved on...loving my new guitar and scoping out others to rebuild the collection. It will be nice of my insurance carrier to help fund this project. I suppose it would help if I actually made a formal claim. I'll get to it.

I've been playing lots of golf. The weather here has been great. Golf is an excellent "meeting" device. I get the opportunity to be outdoors with family, friends or colleagues in a social situation and I have to admit I love chasing that stupid little ball around.

Seeing the Police at Wrigley Field was cool. The concert started out very slowly. I was thinking that it might not ever "move" me but it did after 3 or 4 tunes. My final review would have to include the word "excellent". This is one great rock trio. Sting's voice held up, Andy's guitar playing is unique and very cool and Copeland is one of the best around. I'm really glad I got to see them.


Doesn't matter....
Barry Bonds...shut up about him already. I don't care. It just doesn't matter.

This matters....
BP has gotten a permit from the state of Indiana to increase the amount of pollutants they can put into Lake Michigan. What? You have to be kidding me. Unless they change their mind and do not do it, I will never knowingly purchase one of their products again. (Note to Indiana - Did you ask your neighbors if you could pollute the lake we all share? WTF is wrong with you? Answer my second question first so I have an understanding of what kind of malfunction we're dealing with here.) Please sign the petition here to let these folks know that we value our natural resources.

I am sorry about the long absences between posts. I am resolving to be more diligent...Who knew that writing a blog would come with its own brand of guilt?

Hello It's Me

No word on the missing guitars. The police said they will let me know when they get a break. Hell, they know who did it; they caught an accomplice; bust 'em and get my stuff back! At the speed this is not moving This would be a very long and boring mini series on Law and Order.

J's Summer Concert Series

Went to Northerly Island on the lakefront in Chicago and saw a Ben Folds and John Mayer concert. Nice outdoor venue...Excellent show. I know there are a lot of Mayer detractors out there but he was personable and he can play the guitar. The show was well produced and his band quite competent. I had a hard time not moving...always a good sign. Ben Folds was very entertaining as well. He's a pretty funny dude and the music was right on.

Going to see the Police at Wrigley Field on Thursday. It should be an interesting show. I've never been to a concert at Wrigley.

Next on the calendar...Crossroads Festival at Toyota Park on July 28th. Allman Brothers and Robert Randolph at the end of August...

Not a bad little run...unfortunately I will not be in town when Lollapalooza is in Chicago. My kids are lined up to go, so at least I will get first hand reviews anyway.

America

Happy Independence Day. I love the USA. My wish for all the people of the world is based on peace and founded on freedom. Special thanks go out to all those that have served or are now serving our country. Your sacrifices strengthen this land. Your "leaders"...that's another story.

The above thanks do not extend to the politicians of this country that are lining their pockets on the backs of their constituents. Nor do thanks go to politicians completely devoid of ethics and those that believe they are above the law. America is great despite your handiwork. As a citizen of this great country, I am embarrassed by the vast majority of our national representation. You should be too. Let's figure out how to get this back on track.

Random Acts of Journalism

- The best Fathers Day gift I received was just being with my children for more than a few minutes...although the salami gift was right in there.

- I am convinced I will always miss my father. Fathers day brings that home to me every year. Those of you out there that still have beloved parents or any of your love ones...I want you to know how lucky you are and hope that you don't squander your time with them. This is not intended as a personal plug but if it has that effect it's ok with me.

- I love summer in the Midwest but only as opposed to winter in the Midwest. I actually love summer all year long but if you are in the Midwest you have to leave to find summer for a good part of the year. I hope I continue to get the opportunity to leave.

- I am learning that the police department is not very communicative about the status of their investigation into my stolen guitars. They know who did it. Why can't they just get it done and let me know that my guitars are coming back to me? Arrest him already.

- Who is your favorite poetic songwriter? I can think of a bunch but there was a time when Jackson Browne wrote some beautiful poetry put to music. Neil Young? Bob Dylan? Ben Folds? James Taylor? Joni Mitchell? Bruce Springstein? Ted Nugent? (Just kidding on Ted)

That's all for now...just needed to check in

Something good

Life is full of surprises...some good...some not so good

Surprise!!! Five of your guitars were stolen.
Surprise!!! The punks who stole the guitars were the ones you identified as prime suspects
Surprise!!! That microwaved chicken recipe was awesome.
Surprise!!! The Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox are trying to "out stink" each other this season. It's neck and neck...
Surprise!!! The local police have still not recovered my guitars even though they apprehended one of the thieves.
Surprise!!! Oil companies are making record profits
Surprise!!! G.W. Bush is an oilman.
Surprise!!! Has anyone heard from my son? I know he calls people because I pay for his cell phone.
Surprise!!! I am really learning to love the game of golf.

Here is the coolest of my surprises today...I purchased a new guitar to replace one that was taken. It is a Fender "Eric Clapton" signature "Blackie". WOW!!! Do I love It! I didn't have this particular model and I find it to be near perfect. Great feel. Great sustain and it's beautifully made. So...being burglarized led me, albeit in a non preferred way, to something that I might have otherwise missed. Amazing.

Life is whacked. That's no surprise...

No News

I was hoping that I would hear something from the good guys this weekend. Nothing...

I put a call in to the detective this morning and he is out until Wednesday. I don't know that he would tell me anything anyway.

I still remain hopeful that my stuff will be returned...

Thank you Tommy B

There is someone in custody. To my knowledge they have not located the guitars yet. The person that they arrested was not at the ill fated party but it is someone I identified as an accomplice based on information I gathered from some of the kids at the party. This person was known to the kids as someone that the prime suspect might call to help him with this kind of robbery. Why is he in custody?

The police went to question him on another matter and the kid took off. They caught him and noticed that he was wearing an unusual watch. I didn't know the watch was missing until the police asked me if I was missing a watch. I checked my most valuable watches and other jewelry and nothing was missing. I don't think they ever entered the rooms where this stuff is kept because the dogs were locked in that room. What I failed to think about is that I left a Tommy Bahama watch in the kitchen in a little chest that I use to put loose change and other miscellaneous things. The watch turns out to be distinctive because it has an inscription on the back. It was a gift at an industry golf outing. I described the watch to the police including the inscription and, bingo, the kid was wearing my watch. I have to go ID the watch tomorrow. This is an unbelievable twist...my "inscribed" watch on the wrist of someone that, to the best of my knowledge, was not ever in my kitchen. I know and the police know that this kid knows who took the stuff and hopefully they will get him to tell them who gave him the watch and where the rest of my stuff is located. I am 99% certain who that other person is and the good news is I think the police know it too.

I spoke to the mystery suspect myself a couple of days after the event. He categorically denied knowing anything about it. But, of all the kids I talked to, he was the only one that I caught in a lie. If you are indeed innocent of a serious crime why is lying necessary? If you are not innocent, lying comes easy.

I gave these kids every opportunity to bring back the stuff, no questions asked. Amnesty. Nope, these punks thought they were smart. Well, it looks as though they are not so smart; they are stupid beyond reason. Chances are good that they will now pay the price for their actions and I believe they begged for that to happen.

Stolen Xbox - $499
Stolen Guitars - $10,000+
Stolen Tommy Bahama Watch - $250
The police finding your stolen Tommy Bahama watch on some idiots wrist - Priceless

I think we got em!

I will provide details as they become available but it looks like the thieves are cornered. The only question now is whether they still have the guitars or not. My detective skills were good but not as good as a professional. The police are now involved and it looks as if they are going to be able to solve the crime.

C'mon law and order...

I have me

I am becoming resigned to the fact that my guitars are gone for good. Man this has been a lot harder than I ever could have imagined.

I have replaced one of the guitars I thought I might have trouble finding. It's the one in the picture. Its the 50th Anniversary Fender Stratocaster. It's coming Monday and I am going to play the frets off it when it arrives.

For all you guitarists, keep all your paperwork for your babies together, take their picture and most of all, safeguard them.

To the jerk that stole my guitars...you are scum. You will always be scum. You took my stuff but I have integrity, pride and the respect of those who know me. You are trash. You are worthless. Civilization marches forward despite you. I lost stuff. Somewhere along the line you lost you. I win.

Be on the Lookout for Walking Guitars!

Well it's official. My guitars were not stolen. They apparently ran away from home. All these 19 and 20 year olds that always seem to know everything don't know a thing about what happened Friday night. Selective stupidity is kind of convenient.

We know who stole the guitars

I'm pretty sure we know who took them. Now we have to get our stuff back. The suspected kid is nothing but trouble. If we can't convince him to give them back without consequences we are going to have to do whatever it takes. We may have to contact the authorities and deal with the issues that come along with that. Or we may have to get more convincing with this idiot and hope that this kid can see the light before it's too late for him. If the authorities get their hands on him he's going away for a long long time.

Did a lot of talking to a lot of the kids that were at the house. It was an ugly scene. And the loss of our stuff was just what was needed to have it leave an indelible mark on us.

We are not a happy campers. We obviously suck at being victims. And all of those involved are victims...thanks to the sleazebag(s) that did this. We need to do a 180 on who gets to be the victim here.

That is not my actual Gibson 335 up there. Mine is left handed and had gold hardware...

I can't believe this

Hello out there...sorry I've been away so long but my life has been speeding by but the travels are over for a while. Phew...

Here's whats going on in our little house today. I am totally stunned.

My wife and I were in Florida for the weekend catching some sun with some friends and closing up our house there. We had a wonderful time. We came home late last night. I am really bummed.

What Happened

We come home to find out that 19 year old daughter decided that a party Friday night would be a good idea. 21 year old son left town to see a buddy so he was gone. We have told the kids over and over (i think a million times is a conservative estimate) that there is no underage drinking at our home and no parties while we are gone. The consequences are too severe and we don't want any part of it. We were not ambiguous on this point. You guessed it...a million reminders is not enough...there was a party and apparently some drinking. We lock up our booze but the kids obviously brought their own.

We found this out because 19 year old daughter came clean today because there was an altercation with one of our neighbors. It seems one of the party attendees attempted to get in his front door at 4:00 A.M. and left peacefully after being told to get the fuck out of there by our neighbor. Another neighbor had CD's and DVD's stolen out of his car on the driveway. Daughter figured we would hear about this. She was right. I am really freaked out.

19 year old daughter is a little freaked out herself...I think her desire to host parties is gone. Hard way to see what it was your parental units were trying to lay out for you...Her mother has grounded her for an eternity I think.

Why I am freaked out

I came home from work today to find that 5 of my guitars had been stolen. You heard me 5 of my guitars. I am numb. They left 3 guitars...Nice of the bastards.

They stole my Melancon custom which was one of my favorites and the one in the picture, the Gibson 335 custom that I got for my 50th birthday, my Fender 50th Anniversary Strat, my other Fender Custom Strat and my Les Paul Custom. Fuck you whoever you are. I will find you and you will not be happy about that. You stole my music...these were my instruments...I cherished them.

Whose kids are these that steal from people they know? What kind of garbage did you foist on us?

Why not call the police?

We can't call the police because we will get cited for the underage drinking party that was happening at our house while we were away. Well, isn't that special? We get robbed and if we report it we go from victim to victimized. There is there something wrong with that.

We will have to try to find the worms ourselves and get our stuff back.

I am heartbroken...just this side of devastated. I am angry. I am disappointed.

I just want em back...

Note to G Dub

Mr. Bush, I believe Ben was trying to tell you something all those years ago...



"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759US author, diplomat, inventor, physicist, politician, & printer (1706 - 1790)

To My Fellow Ticketless Fans...What the Fo

I'm still pissed off about what happened with the Crossroads Guitar Festival Fan Club presale. I have never had a problem getting my Eric Clapton fan club tickets before and, in fact, have had great success in getting tickets to see EC. I have never gotten my tickets and sold them to a broker. Apparently the "secret" code for fan club members hit the internet in advance of the sale. Hence, all tickets were gone immediately. Gee, I wonder if any brokers got them? The more appropriate question is, I wonder how many fans got them? All the fan club members I know had the same story. Basically locked out...immediately. I don't think this is what Eric Clapton had in mind for his fans. Maybe he has nothing to do with it but I'd like to think he appreciates those who appreciate him...

Tickets for the festival are likely to cost me a fortune. Having been fortunate enough to attend the original Crossroads festival, I was really hoping to share the experience of this with some of the other music fanatics in my life. $$$$$$$$$$$$$ Ouch! Man I hate that concerts have gotten out of reach for most people...

General admission tickets are going for around $300...I don't think I am young enough to do the general admission thing in a venue this large. I might get crushed and if it's hot enough on the field I might beg someone to crush me to save me from slow roasting in the inevitable sea of drunken fools.

If you want to sit in a seat it will cost you form $500 to $1000 per. WTF! Let's see, if I need 6...thats a minimum of $3,000...maybe I should wait until the DVD comes out. I could buy 6 of them, a new HD TV and a new HD DVD player for the cost of the tickets. Ridiculous...just frickin' ridiculous.

Home at last

Well I am back in the good old USA. It is really nice to be home again. I am not going to complain a lot about being in Italy for about 3 of the last 6 weeks but it is harder than it might seem. The 7 hour time difference is tough to recover from.

My trusty iPod served me well on the flights to and fro...I don't think I could have made it without the music.

I will post a few stories from my travels in the coming weeks but I am a little brain dead right now. Well...a little more than usual anyway.

Two musical moments from the trip...I went in to get a piece of pizza in a little slice shop in Siena and the sweet sound of Grand Funk Railroad was coming from the ceiling...the song was Inside Looking Out. The pizza was good; the song; food for the soul.

We were walking through a piazza in Florence when I spotted a very ratty looking dude...obviously homeless. Coming out of his clump of belongings was the sound of Led Zeppelin. Nothing like a little Whole Lotta Love to help you connect with an Italian street person. It sounded really good to me.

I missed you all and I missed being in the US. As wonderful as Italy is, there is no place like home...

We humans aren't very nice to each other

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Police identified a 23-year-old South Korean student Tuesday as the gunman who killed more than 30 people in a rampage at Virginia Tech. They said at least one of his handguns was also used to kill two people in a dorm room across campus the same morning.

The killing of 32 people Monday at this placid university in southwestern Virginia was the deadliest shooting spree in U.S. history.


BAGHDAD, April 18 -- Four car bombs killed 131 people and wounded 164 others across Baghdad Wednesday, the U.S. military said, as bloodshed spiked two months into a U.S.-led crackdown meant to pacify the Iraqi capital.

Some news accounts suggested the death toll may be higher. The Reuters news agency, quoting local officials, said as many as 170 people had been killed, and the Associated Press said at least 183 had been killed.

These above are small parts of news articles just taken from news websites.

Does one of these stories make you feel worse than the other?
One lunatic shooting innocents
Groups of lunatics blowing up innocents
Are we callous enough to think that because those dying in Iraq are mostly Iraqis, it's ok?
Why does our media go crazy with coverage, outrage and emotional broadcasts for one of these events and not the other?
Is it because Iraq is a political issue?
The story above demonstrates clearly that it's a humanitarian issue.

They are both horrible circumstances. I can't imagine how devastated I would be if I lost a loved one in either one of these two horrific events. But I also can't isolate my feelings for the victims just because of where the innocents were slain. Murder is murder. People are people. Children are children.

Where is our leadership? Where is our media? Where is our outrage?

I was really hoping to laugh

I finally watched Borat last night. What a disappointment. The movie and concept just didn't live up to all the talk and hype. Funny? Maybe if I was in fifth grade...Hell, I think Taladega Nights had more laughs...

Very basic scatological humor, political incorrectness, cheap sexual humor, antisemitism, naked men wrestling around, using unsuspecting people to further his whacked humor....Not very creative, not very original and not very funny. If this movie is considered a good movie, I am missing something. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I giggled a few times. I was uncomfortable more than I was amused.

I'm glad I didn't go to the theater and waste $6.00 on this. So that is my rating, NW6 (not worth $6.00). In fact I will go NW.05.

It's my opinion and my sense of humor and I failed to sense much at all.

Correre via alla bocca

I've been on the road quite a bit and have been remiss in writing. I feel a little guilty about that for some reason. So, I am here to relieve some of the guilt. I think I will just ramble.

Things I'm tired of....

Don Imus is an idiot. I make a point of not listening or heeding what idiots have to say whenever I can. I have exercised my right to my opinion by not tuning into his show and I'm glad MSNBC has taken him out. Now, I wish he would get out of the "news". The guy is nobody to me. I'm sick of hearing about it. Where's Paris Hilton when you need to hear about annoying nobody's. I really can't believe I want to hear about Paris Hilton...OK, I don't.

I really believe that if I look up hypocrite in the Dictionary they will use Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton as examples. Well...I looked. They don't, but they should.

Politics, the War in Iraq, GWB, Republicans, Democrats, my digestive system, snow in April, reality tv, ticket brokers, ticketmaster, the trials and tribulations of aging, mean people, dishonest people. Did I say politics? Lot of recurring irritations found in this paragraph.

Things I never get tired of...

Música, musique, Musik, музыка, De muziek, musikk, 音樂

l'amore per i miei bambini

l'amore della mia vita

cibo delizioso

golf giocando

ridere con i miei amici ed il mio ones amato

la mia collezione di chitarra

OK...so after going multilingual I lost it and settled into Italian. What a beautiful language it is! I can wait to butcher it again sometime soon in Italia!

Does anyone know how to work a date book?

Where do I begin today? I have lots to write about but I will start with the concert I went to Tuesday (4/3) night in Moline Illinois.

Moline is part of the Quad Cities and is located about 2 and half hours from where I live. Eric Clapton was booked to play the Quad Cities! Rather than get back on the road after the show, we had made a hotel reservation and were planning on spending the night in lovely Davenport Iowa.

For some reason we had put the concert on the calendar for Wednesday (04/4) night. This is where the fun begins! About 3:30 P.M. on Tuesday I decide to go up to EC Access, Clapton's fanclub site to see if anyone had thoughts on the fan club Crossroads festival presale debacle that left most members ticketless, including me. I happened to see a message posted regarding "going to Moline". I clicked on it and the writer was talking about how he was "about to leave for the concert in Moline tonight". I thought, "Wow, they must have added a show" but thought I should look at my tickets. I looked and they said "Tuesday April 3 at 7:30 P.M.". OMG!!! I walked around the corner to my wife's office and said "the Clapton concert is tonight!" She literally shouted "WHAT?" and then "Can we make it?" I said "yes, I think we can but we have no time to spare." She was on her way home to pack a few things within milliseconds. Rather than get back on the road after the show, we had made a hotel reservation and were planning on spending the night in lovely Davenport Iowa, thus there was minor packing to do. I'm not sure I have seen her move at that pace ever! I printed the tickets and was right behind her. We were on the road to Moline at 4:15.

While on the road, we left a voice mail for our "dog sitter" figuring if she was unable to help we might have to call in backup sitter, my son J. Fortunately, she called us back fairly quickly and said there was no problem. It was at this point that I think my blood pressure was beginning to get under control.

We made it to the Quad cities by 6:30 P.M.. Alright it is possible that I exceeded the 65 mph speed limit from time to time but I can't be sure of that (your honor). We checked into the hotel, wolfed down a very mediocre dinner and made it to the show about 10 minutes late. We missed a couple of Robert Cray's opening numbers.

The concert...Robert Cray was very good. The size of this gentleman makes his Stratocaster look like a ukulele. Big man, great style.

I was really looking forward to seeing this leg of the Clapton tour since I had seen one of the earlier stops on the US leg of this tour last September. I thought the band was not quite "smokin" the first time around. They were good...they just weren't killer.

Well, no Derek Trucks this time around. He's apparently off doing an Allman Bros. reunion, so the apples to apples comparison went out the window. I was really disappointed that I wasn't able to watch this kid play again.

Overall, the band was better. EC and Doyle Bramhall had some outstanding guitar duet moments and Doyle had a couple of great solos this time around. Hell, the band is made up of a bunch of all stars...Steve Jordan on drums and Willie Weeks on bass. Chris Stainton and Tim Carmon on keyboards.

EC is EC. He's a virtuoso at any age. At age 62, he's still amazing. He makes it look effortless and that's genius. He pisses me off. He obviously hogged up all the guitar talent because I can't seem to get much. Awesome EC, just awesome.

"Got to Get Better in a Little While" was rockin'. "Cocaine" was the worst rendition of that song that I have ever heard. They were going through the motions. Robert Cray joined the band for a go at "Crossroads" and it was killer.

Summary...nice venue, nice crowd, excellent show, EC is a gift.

Dreamland Concert Series

This summer is shaping up with some good concerts coming to town. It started with the news that Pearl Jam is going to headline Lollapalooza. Nice....hope it happens and I hope it's not a logistical nightmare...could be though...

Roger Waters is bringing his Dark Side of the Moon show back through town. OK...that should be fun. Got tickets for this one already but there is a conflict brewing. Hmmm...
He's playing the United Center.

The Police are playing Wrigley Field this summer. Maybe Sting can pitch or hit or do anything like a baseball player? God knows the Cubs can always use some help. Got tickets for this one too.

Then, the best news, Eric Clapton is organizing another Crossroads Guitar Festival and its gonna be in Chicago at Toyota Park on July 28th. I attended the first one in Dallas and it was guitar heaven. I will do everything in my power to witness this again. I've never been to Toyota Park but it's outdoors and it can't be worse than the Cotton Bowl. What a day of fun this will be...

Ok...now it's your turn to put together a music festival...include any band or performer. You can only include 7 bands and you must consider the order in which they play.

1. Lynyrd Skynryd with Ronnie VZ...this will get the crowd going!
2. Allman Brothers Band..more great "Southern" rock n blues
3. Eric Clapton...Duane Allman joins in for some Derek tunes!
4. Stevie Ray Vaughan...I'll need a smoke after the first four here...
5. Jimi Hendrix...SRV would have loved "opening" for Jimi
6. Led Zeppelin...are you kidding me? This band could rock...
7. Ladies and gentleman...The Beatles!

What a nice fantasy...I think I'll make this into an Ipod playlist somehow...

Italy One

Italy is coming...the prelim

Update

Nothing But Nets Update! So Far...So Good. We're up to $10,150 or 1015 nets. Thanks go out to all that joined us in saving lives. We continue to make a difference. C'mon squeeze out a few bucks and take a chance on saving someones life. Tell your friends. Post it on your blog. E-mail everyone you know. Thanks!

Your Quit Date is: 02/21/2007 12:00:00 PM

Time Smoke-Free: 26 days, 23 hours, 35 minutes and 15 seconds

Cigarettes NOT Smoked: 405

Lifetime saved: 3 days, 2 hours

Money Saved: $70.88

Houdogini

Well, I was right about Ani (rat baby)...she is an unbelievable little beast.

We bought these special doggy travel cases...the number one rated cases. See the picture...no those are not our pets; it's a stock photo that I took from the website in the corner. I thought since I borrowed their photo, they should get some free advertising.

She escaped from the case, not once, but twice. I was traversing the zigzag at security when one of the guards said, "Excuse me sir, your dog is out." I looked down and there she was dashing around in circles. I grabbed her quickly and put her back in her top rated case. She had opened one of the zippered entrances, or in Ani's case I believe they should be called exits. They were all closed tightly...she just figured out how to open them.

Later as we were in the Jetway just about to step on to the plane...she's out again. This time I feared she might panic and fall onto the tarmac. I was able to catch her quickly but we were struggling to get her back in the case and we were causing our own little doggie induced Jetway delay. So, my wife just took here under her arm while wheeling in the other escape challenged dog behind her. I was left wheeling the empty case. At least the case was quiet...

Well...we struggled a bit getting her back in the top rated escapable case but we finally succeeded. There were no further escapes...but I kept a close eye on all the zippers. We survived and it was interesting, embarrassing at times, but interesting...kinda like coca cola going through your nose interesting...

Rat and Fat are at it again

Today is the last day of my glorious run of being in Florida. I'll admit it...I hate winter...I love 80 degrees. So, I'm sorta bummed that I have to return to the frozen northlands. I did take a chunk out of winter so I guess I am fortunate. To those of you that have been unable to escape winter, I apologize for whining and I know I deserve a kick in the head. I am sad to leave the weather and I can't deny that feeling...

The worst part of leaving is going to be the flight home....with the 2 dogs. My lovely wife thought it would be a good idea to try bringing the dogs with us. If the dogs were low maintenance, it would have been a good idea. The little white female dog from hell is anything but low maintenace. Tiger (aka Fat Baby), was ok...not happy but ok.

They are miniature schnauzers and travel in the cabin under our seats in specially designed dog carriers. On the trip out here, the dogs were not happy being in the carriers and being stuffed under the seat. It's easy to understand. They were shaking all the way. Then Ani (aka Rat Baby), as I expected, made shrieking noises as we were moving through the airport; noises that were close to making my ears bleed. At one point a woman said "You need to put some WD40 on that" and then realized it was a dog making the noises, not the wheels on the carrier.

Our vet strongly advised against sedating the dogs. If he knew Rat Baby like I do, he would have suggested that the humans be sedated. Wish me luck. I am so not looking forward to this adventure.

Don't let the little white one's demeanor in this photo fool you...she's the Rat Baby.

Your Quit Date is: 02/21/2007 12:00:00 PM

Time Smoke-Free: 23 days, 180 hours, 47 minutes and 23 seconds

Cigarettes NOT Smoked: 357

Lifetime saved: 2 days, 17 hours

Money Saved: $63.00

An Ace

I made a hole in one yesterday! I know this doesn't excite everyone but it's a big deal in the golf world. I think it's a nice bit of luck. I would have rather used that luck to win a piece of the $370 million plus power ball lottery but that's a no go. So, I'll settle for my 4th hole in one. I think the odds for amateurs are like 1 in 13000 or something. I have always considered myself one of the luckiest guys in the world. This is just another very minor reason why I think that.

My Stats:

Your Quit Date is: 02/21/2007 12:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 14 days, 20 hours, 36 minutes and 2 seconds
Cigarettes NOT Smoked: 233
Lifetime saved: 1 day, 16 hours
Money Saved: $39.38

Creating my first original meme

Music, music, music...

1. What was the first record or cd that you owned?
She Love's You by the Beatles. I remember the 45 with a black Swan label. (A 45 is not a pistol)

2. What was the worst concert you ever saw?
Stevie Wonder. The production was so poor I did not hear one song I could recognize. I don't think I was 15 rows from the stage.

3. What cd or album in your collection are you embarrassed to say is there?
Uriah Heep - Demons and Wizards. I can't believe I liked this in college. Can you say stoned? They had to be...lol

4. What was the last song that gave you goose bumps?
The Luckiest - Ben Folds. The guy writes some great stories.

5. If you could sit in with one musician or band, who would that be?
This could be a huge list for me. Living - Eric Clapton Gone - SRV. My guitar lust comes out.

6. What's the best place you've ever seen a concert?
The finest acoustics were at the Civic Opera House in Chicago. I saw Paul Simon when he was on the Graceland tour. It was a fabulous show. The auditorium theater in Chicago is also a great venue.

7. The worst?
What used to be the Tweeter Center...now the Some bank name music theater. The place must have been planned and designed by Pablo Picasso. Nothing is in the right place, acoustics suck, traffic is hell. I will only go back there if Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon are on the bill.

8. Did your Dad have a love for music? How about your Mom?
My dad liked opera. Of my music he only said, "turn that shit off". Sorry dad but I do understand. If I could have I would have said the same thing about opera. My Mom liked pop music so she was a bit more accommodating about getting us a hi-fi and buying records.

9. DRM stands for __________________ .
Dimwits ruining music

10. What singer's pipes blow you away?
Linda Ronstadt has some powerful pipes. Aaron Neville has alien pipes. Neil Young has no pipes (but I love his work).

I look forward to your answers...give it a go...

It's a start

Nothing But Nets Update! We are off to a good start. In the month of February we raised $7,340 or about 734 nets! Thanks go out to all that joined us in saving lives. We are making a difference. Feel free to give some more or if you haven't yet contributed, do so. Tell your friends. Post it on your blog. E-mail everyone you know. Let's see how much we can all do with just a little bit of effort. Thank you all!

Are you sure it's not Friday?

A Thursday that feels like a Friday
Random Ten (give or take)

1. Little Child (Mono) - The Beatles
2. Give Me Love - George Harrison from the Live in Japan Disc
3. Telegraph Road - Dire Straits
4. I Shot the Sheriff - Eric Clapton
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Jeff Healey Band
6. You Saved My Life - Joe Satriani
7. Rapunzel - Dave Matthews Band
8. Oh Atlanta - Little Feat
9. Damn Right I've Got the Blues - Buddy Guy
10.Raspberry Beret - Prince
10a. Best Imitation of Myself - Ben Folds
10b. Diamond Dust - Jeff Beck
10c. Wasted Time - The Eagles

It was sounding so good I blew right past 10. Nice cross section of music there. Special thanks go out to the shuffle gremlins in my iPod.

Who are those guys up there? Bonus points for 3 out of 4

Quit Stats

Your Quit Date is: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 12:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free:7 days, 16 hours, 9 minutes and 16 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 115
Lifetime Saved: 21 hours
Money Saved: $21.00

Note to Apple: I don't think much of you either

I came across this blurb in the February 22, 2007 issue of Rolling Stone. If you are not a subscriber, go buy this issue...lots of entertaining info in the mag.

"500 Greatest Songs Come Alive

In May, 500 bands will gather in Atlanta to play every tune on ROLLING STONE'S 2004 list of the 500 greatest songs of all time - counting down from "More Than a Feeling" to 'Like a Rolling Stone" over ten nights. The series, which runs May 3rd-12th at Smith's Olde Bar, benefits Songs for Kids Foundation, a nonprofit group that brings musicians to sick children. "Probably every artist in Georgia will be performing" says organizer Josh Rifkind, who has already booked more than 100 acts and is soliciting more at 500songsforkids.org. He hopes to get some of the original performers to play their songs such as Georgia natives R.E.M. and OutKast."

I am not the only music nut case that thinks the 500 is pretty cool. I have the 500 songs as a playlist on my iPod. I created it after being at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and thinking that the 500 would be cool to have. I was right; it's pretty cool. The process of collecting all the music took a lot longer than I thought and cost much more than I would have guessed. Try finding Dave Clark Five music...it ain't easy. And that was just one of the tough finds. But I really had a lot of fun running them all down. I own a lot of CD's I purchased for one song.

The amount of time and $ put into the project and the rest of the 8000+ songs in my iPod has made me a certified iPod backupaholic. Apple has made my life difficult with the way they limit how you can back up their little music machines. I own all the music in my iPod. I paid for every single song; some multiple times if you count lps, replacement lps, cds, replacement cds, and songs purchased from the iTunes store. I own it not because I am afraid of the copyright police. I own it because I believe that artists should be compensated if I listen to their music. Apple and the rest of those attempting to control how I use MY music are punishing me and those like me because of those that steal music. So, what they are saying to me is that I am not trust worthy. So, what I say to them is that they are idiots. I hope these morons didn't use these same principles to raise their children.

I was seriously considering chasing down the 500 albums of all time...but I'm pretty sure that list does not include Dark Side of The Moon. They lost me there...

My Stats:
My Quit Date is: 2/21/2007 12:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 6 days, 6 hours, 17 minutes and 30 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 94
Lifetime Saved: 17 hours
Money Saved:$15.75

Stomping out the Demon

I am on my way to being an ex-smoker. I am ready this time. I need to do it for my health and happiness. If I am not healthy, I won't be happy. Cigarettes are not a health supplement last time I checked.

The info below is provided by the program I am using to help with the quit.

"You've been Quit 2 days. $5.25 and 5 hours of your life saved!"

I am having a hard time getting excited about "I" bands. I know quite a few but none really have changed the face of music for me. Incubus? Billy Idol? Indigo Girls? Isley Brothers? Ink Spots? Iron Maiden? Iggy Pop?

Probably the closest thing to a difference maker in classic rock is Iron Butterfly. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida baby! It never was one of my favorites but it does have a place in my musical past.

A newer "I" band that I enjoy is the native American blues band, Indigenous. I saw them open for Dave Matthews once and enjoyed the set. Excellent rocking blues. The group is comprised of two brothers, Mato Nanji, guitar and vocals , Pte, bass guitar, their sister, Wanbdi , drums and vocals and their cousin, Horse, percussion. Mato Nanji's playing is reminiscent of SRV...that's high praise.

Any more I's that deserve mention?

Wond'ring Aloud

And now we come to J....This is going to be a shared category because I can't pick just one. All of the J's I mention have a place in my life.

Billy Joel...a large body of work...a lot of it very good. New York State of Mind is killer...Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, You May Be Right, James to mention some others. The first time I saw Billy he was the opening act for the Beach Boys. The crowd was rude and paid no attention. It was difficult to hear but he was excellent. I remember he made some snide comment about not being "Elton John" which became funny to me when he toured with Elton 20 or so years after making the comment. Thanks for the music Billy.

Next up, Sir Elton John. I've seen him twice. The first time in the 80's. It was a show that I did not expect to like and I was dead wrong. Excellent production in a big venue was what I came away with. It was a great show. The second time was his show in Vegas. The music was excellent despite his voice being a little ragged. The staging was way out there. At times a bit uncomfortable...He's doing Bitch is Back and the whole time there is a huge video screen behind the stage and Pamela Anderson is doing a pole dance. 15 seconds of that was too much but an entire song...not for me. There was a huge inflatable woman's breast, numerous phallic fruit concoctions...bizarro. He still gets a nod for many years of good work.

James Gang...this is a direct result of my love for the work of Joe Walsh. He's a delightful crazy and one hell of a player. I've seen him numerous times and he never fails to make me smile. That is a good thing. Funk 49 still has legs. The guy is hilarious and talented. I am an avid Joe fan.

Jethro Tull...this goes back to my freshman year of college where I swear Aqualung was playing everywhere I went. I know it played non-stop in my dorm room...which was affectionately known as the Club 402. My roomate had an 8 track player that he rigged up that sounded quite good for the time and the thing played endlessly. My first year of college was a great year in my life and that album is the theme song. It never fails to grab me and take me back. I only saw them once...at the Chicago Theater...and they were terrific. Our seats were actually where they had set up the sound boards so we were moved to the orchestra pit. Talk about good seats! I was ready to catch Ian Anderson if he lost his balance.

I can't think of any more J's. Who did I forget?

Riding with the Kings

Oops I seem to have left out a couple of very important K artists...no I'm not talking about King Crimson or Kid Rock. I am talking about Riley B. King. Blues Boy King. BB King. His influences on Blues and Rock and Roll are notable. John (I am becoming a great guitar player) Mayer mentions BB as one of his early influences. I'm thinking BB King has grandchildren older than John.

I have been fortunate to see BB a number of times including as part of the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas. The best part of the BB segment is that Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, John Mayer and Jimmy Vaughan all came out and did a jam and a half. BB refused to leave! He was having the time of his life...near 80 years old and still cooking. It was also during that jam that I got to see John Mayer's skills for the first time. Blew me away...

Thanks to BB for all the enjoyment and congratulations on your receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in December.

Another blues guitarist that left his mark on a lot of players is Albert King. If you want to sample Albert, try his session with Stevie Ray. Nice live blues work.