Weezie sent me this. Please kick back and take a little time out to watch the following video. We could all learn a lot about love from this heartwarming story. If we could only get along like this, there would be no name calling and insults flung back and forth on blogs and forums about Casey, Caylee, George, Cindy, Lee, Jose Baez and the biggest one in the news lately, Andrea Lyon. We wouldn’t pick on each other and there would be no murder.

We can wish, can’t we?

نخستین بار که یک آلبوم موزیک با پول تو جیبی ام خریدم، آلبومی از ترانه های برگزیده الویس پریسلی بود. موزیک، بدون راک اند رول و راک بدون الویس، چیز مهمی کم داشت. حتا تصور اینها بدون هم مشکل است.

You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
Cryin’ all the time
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
Cryin’ all the time
Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit
And you ain’t no friend of mine

Well they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit
And you ain’t no friend of mine

You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
Cryin’ all the time
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
Cryin’ all the time
Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit
And you ain’t no friend of mine

[instrumental interlude]

Well they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Yeah they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit
And you ain’t no friend of mine

[instrumental interlude]

Well they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Ya know they said you was high-classed
Well, that was just a lie
Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit
And you ain’t no friend of mine

You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
Cryin’ all the time
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
Cryin’ all the time
Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit
You ain’t no friend of mine

C’è differenza tra chi canta e chi porta la voce in un altro territorio, fuori dal mondo, creando una specie di orgasmo all’interno di se stesso. È una trasfigurazione. Io ne so qualcosa. E avendo incontrato Elvis, so che era un trasformista.
La prima canzone di Elvis che ho sentito è stata “Hound Dog.” Non ero equipaggiato con nessuna delle conoscenze che ho ora, non sapevo della versione di Big Mama Thornton, né sapevo da dove arrivasse tutto quello swing. Ho solo sentito questa voce, che era assolutamente al posto giusto. La voce era sicura, insinuante e non faceva prigionieri. Possedeva quei grandiosi urli e quei momenti in picchiata, quelle tenute, si avventava sulla nota come un uccello predatore. Io ho preso tutte queste cose. Lo si può sentire in tutto Led Zeppelin.
Quando ho incontrato Elvis con Zeppelin, dopo uno dei suoi concerti nei primi anni Settanta, gli ho preso le misure. Non era proprio alto come me. Ma aveva la corporatura di un cantante. Aveva un buon torace – la cassa di risonanza. Ed era trasportato. “Anyway You Want Me” è una delle esibizioni vocali più toccanti che io abbia mai sentito. Non c’è paragone con “Jailhouse Rock” e la roba registrata nelle sessioni di King Creole. Posso studiare le Sun sessions da uomo di mezza età che guarda indietro nella carriera di un altro uomo e pensa: «Wow, che inizio grandioso». Ma amo la modernità della roba registrata per la RCA. “I Need Your Love Tonight” e “A Big Hunk o’ Love” erano così potenti – con la sua voce quelle canzoni erano il posto più bello dove stare sull’intero pianeta.
Durante quell’incontro, Jimmy Page scherzò con Elvis sul fatto che non avevamo mai fatto il sound check – ma che se l’avessimo fatto, io avrei voluto fare solo canzoni di Elvis. Elvis pensò che fosse divertente e mi chiese: «Che canzoni canti?». Io gli risposi che mi piacevano quelle con tutti gli stati d’animo, come la grande canzone country “Love Me”: «Treat me like a fool/Treat me mean and cruel/But love me». Così mentre andavamo via, dopo ben 90 illuminanti e divertenti minuti con lui, stavo camminando per il corridoio. Lui si è appeso alla porta, e con un’aria molto soddisfatta di sé ha iniziato a cantare quella canzone: «Treat me like a fool. . . . ». Mi sono girato e gli ho fatto la mia versione personale di Elvis. Siamo rimasti lì in piedi, cantando uno verso l’altro.
A quell’epoca, a cause delle forze che aveva attorno, era difficile per lui raggiungere scrittori di testi più contemporanei. Quando è morto, aveva 42 anni. Oggi io sono diciotto anni più vecchio di quell’età. Ma non aveva molte relazioni fresche su cui contare, e i suoi vecchi amici non gli avrebbero portato il nuovo vangelo. So che avrebbe voluto esprimere di più. Ma quello che ha fatto è stato rendere possibile per me, come cantante, l’esplorazione di un altro mondo.

di Robert Plant

Renowned Elvis Presley authority Cory Cooper joins Ed and Frankie as they remember the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and his early appearances on television. Also: Ed and Frankie comment on the recent premiere of Eastwick on ABC, as well as the season premieres of Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Californication (Showtime) and The Big Bang Theory (CBS):

http://media.podcastingmanager.com/9/3/5/3/3/142636-133539/Media/101909tvc32_1.mp3

by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website. Read about Gary’s songwriting e-books here.

____________________________

If you study the songs that have made it big over the decades, you start to see certain commonalities: they show an identifiable contour, they usually have a climactic point, they’re usually comprised of mainly stepwise motion with occasional leaps, and so on. A trickier question to answer is: How many notes make a good melody?

Some songs have a very restricted range: “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty basically uses three notes. “Hound Dog” uses four notes if you don’t consider flat 3rds, etc. But the Star Spangled Banner uses a range of two octaves, with almost all notes between.

The round-about way of answering this question is that if you have problems with your melody, the actual number of pitches you used to create it is probably not the problem. No melody exists on its own; they all interlock with the lyric and harmonic workings of a song. There needs to be something within that melody that supports the lyric and choral structures, and vice versa.

So the real question with regard to song success is not how many notes you’ve used, but how you’ve used them. There’s a theory that if you use too few, your song can be boring. (Not true.) Or if you use too many, the melody meanders too much and can easily become aimless wandering. (Also not true.)

The best advice here is to not focus on how many notes you’ve used, but rather to consider how you’ve used those notes. “Free Fallin’” works so well because of melodic motif: the verse is comprised mainly of ascending melodic figures, while the chorus reverses that motif and uses mainly descending ones. That’s enough of a development to show evolution of a musical idea without getting in the way of the lyric.

Motivic development becomes even more important with longer melodies. A motif is simply a “musical idea” that gets stated and restated in different forms and incarnations throughout a song. It differs from a hook in the sense that a hook keeps recurring in essentially its original form.

If you worry that your melody is too “notey”, or not “notey” enough, stop worrying. That’s not the problem with a bad melody. If you make a list of what makes melodies bad, length of melody shouldn’t be on the list. Consider instead the things you’ve done or not done to make that melody stick in the mind of the listener.

_____________________

If you want to learn more about why some melodies succeed while others fail, Gary Ewer’s songwriting e-books give you the instruction you need. No melody exists on its own; it needs to partner closely with your text and underlying harmonic structure. Get all the facts by reading Gary’s six e-books. Right now, “Chord Progression Formulas” is being offered free with any purchase from the Online Store.

(Typical 1956 Elvis Presley Concert Poster)

Several months ago an old classmate of mine who I had become reacquainted with through a class reunion contacted me and asked if I would be interested in having a copy of a CD which had been offered to them by an individual from the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and contained a concert which Elvis Presley had put on here in Little Rock, Arkansas on May 16th of 1956. I would have been fifteen years old at the time and just finishing the ninth grade of junior high school. I immediately responded that I would love to have a copy and several weeks later I received the copy.

The concert was performed at the Robinson Memorial Auditorium which was pretty much the main venue for big name entertainment and stage productions at the time in Little Rock. Although the audio quality was not all that great it was actually better than I expected it to be, given how long ago that was. The recorded broadcast was apparently done by one of Little Rock’s local radio stations. The CD wasn’t all I hoped it would be with regard to content since it actually only had seven songs on it so it was more of a selective excerpt from the concert of some of the music he had performed.

(Typical stage setup for Elvis concert in 1956)

Although I did not attend this particular concert , and boy I wish I had, I was a huge, huge fan of Elvis and remained so to this day. In 1956 Elvis was really just becoming nationally recognized. But after listening to the CD’s content there were three things in particular that grabbed my attention. A couple were somewhat humorous while the other shed some historical light on one of Elvis’ more well known hits.

In the opening of the concert I thought it quite humorous that the broadcast commentator, whoever he was, was obviously not all that familiar with Elvis or at least his music since he didn’t know the correct name for Elvis’ first song. Give the excerpt below a listen…..

I’m sure it was easy to note the broadcaster introduced the song as “Heartbreak Motel” instead of “Heartbreak Hotel”. Obviously I got a pretty good chuckle from that. At the time Heartbreak Hotel had only been out about 10 weeks so it was still relatively new. This was his first national release since signing with RCA in November of 1955.

Obviously his stage presence even then was huge but he seem to have a bit of a hard time with his dialogue and exchanges with the audience. At one point it sounds as if he may have actually burped into the microphone! I’m sure the audience couldn’t have cared less but it is interesting to listen now. Here is an excerpt as he prepares to sing “Blue Suede Shoes”…..

The final clip is one of a more historical nature, musically speaking. When originally listening to the CD I was immediately struck by the fact that it contained a performance of the song “Hound Dog”. What was odd about it was the fact that “Hound Dog” had not even been released nor recorded at that point in time. “Hound Dog” was subsequently recorded and released by RCA in July of 1956. Needless to say I was quite curious as to how and why a song not yet released had ended up in his repertoire.

After doing a little research I was led to some information regarding Elvis Presley’s first, apparently not very successful, appearance in Las Vegas. He was an “extra added attraction” to another show and appeared in the Venus Room of the New Frontier from April 23 through May 6, 1956. Freddie Bell and the Bellboys was the hot act in town and Elvis went to the Sands at some point to take in their show. Elvis not only enjoyed the show but after hearing their performance of the song “Hound Dog” decided to ask Freddie if he had any objections to him recording his own version. By May 16 Elvis had added “Hound Dog” to his live performances.

(Obviously what is important with regard to that bit of information is that the Little Rock concert was held on May 16th implying that the Little Rock concert was the first time “Hound Dog” was performed in front of a live audience. It had been just 10 days since closing in Las Vegas.)

In lieu of this information I found myself extremely curious with regard to who Freddie Bell and the Bellboys were since I personally had never really heard of them up until this revelation with regard to “Hound Dog”. So with little effort – low and behold YouTube would shed light on my curiousity. Below is a video clip Freddy Bell and the Bellboys performing “Giddy Up A Ding Dong” which was performed in the movie “Rock Around the Clock”…..

It was somewhat obvious after seeing this video as to why Elvis may have been so attracted to their act. And some of those moves by Freddy in the video look eerily familiar to some of the moves Elvis use to make. The group apparently did not have any real success in the United States never breaking into the “Top Forty” but did garnish some brief success overseas in Australia, England and France with the song viewed in the video above. I was also curious with regard to the version of “Hound Dog” that they had done that so impressed Elvis. An audio clip of Freddy Bell and the Bellboys performing “Hound Dog” follows…..

The audio clip below is the excerpt from the Little Rock concert of that apparent first live performance of “Hound Dog” to include the closing comments of the broadcast commentator as the concert reached it conclusion.

Again I had to chuckle at his vocal mannerisms as he spoke to the audience. Already with the, “Thank you….Thank you very much.” Also a bit humorous was his adding “…and everything.” to almost everything he said. And…..we were all his “friends”. I think most of us may have had a similar irritating vocal mannerism when we were that young. I know I use to drive my parents up the wall by concluding every sentence with “…..you know?”

It was such a treat and pleasure to have grown up with Elvis and been witness to this greatest of performers. There’s a lot about this old life we endure that really sucks….but Elvis and all that he brought will always remain one of those shining moments that helped make life really good on those bad days.

NOTE: Previously published in my journal, Writing To Myself, on 09/17/2009

This journal entry has moved to a new location.

Please click “HERE” to be forwarded to the subject entry.

“If the chord that follows sounds like it came out of left-field, you’ve probably got a chord progression with a problem.”
Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website.
(Check out his songwriting and chord progression e-books.)

Follow Gary on Twitter

My motto for songwriters is: Songs need to grab attention; chord progressions need to work. If you’re spending your time trying to create a chord progression that’s going to knock the listener’s socks off, you are probably wasting valuable time, and here’s why.

Some of the best songs ever written were created using three or four chords. How can it be possible for a song with such a restricted harmonic treatment to rise to the top of the charts? “Hound Dog”, “Twist and Shout”, “Don’t be Cruel”, “La Bamba” – and the list goes on and on. How can these songs be so successful with such a boring set of I – IV – V chord changes?

A chord progression’s most important quality is that it is predictable. If the chord that follows sounds like it came out of left-field with no real ability to predict that it was going to happen, you’ve probably got a chord progression with a problem. Such progressions need to be treated carefully to keep them from sounding too weird. And songs with progressions that don’t make sense are songs that listeners shun.

If you find the basic three-chord song to be too limiting, your best bet is to consider adding to the list of chords you use; in other words, you should choose to make a boring progression longer before you choose to make it weird.

Adding a “strange” chord to your progression weakens it, but that’s not the real problem. Some chord progressions work well when you throw in an unexpected chord. But once you’ve done that, you need to do something to “normalize the progression.” Normalizing a progression means that you need to strengthen it, and one of the best ways to do that is through the circle of fifths.

The circle of fifths is a great progression to use as a standard progression for most popular music styles. Start on the I-chord of your chosen key (C in C major, for example.) Jump to any other chord that occurs naturally in C major (Dm, Em, F, G, Am or Bdim). From that chord, move downward by 5 notes to get the next chord. It always makes a progression that works. Here are some samples:

C Dm G C
C Am Dm G C
C Em Am Dm G C

You may think of that kind of chord predictability to be boring, but it is not. Predictability is a crucial part of progressions that work. Throwing in unpredictable chords can add charm to your music, but only if they are followed by something more predictable. Following unpredictable chords with more of the same, and the charm turns to confusion.

If you want to see more more chord progressions that work, progressions that songwriters need, along with valuable chord progression formulas, you need to take a look at these important songwriting and chord progression e-books.

Gary Ewer has written a set of songwriting e-books that will show you how to write great songs. (Hisnewest e-book, ”The Essential Secrets of Songwriting- Chord Progression Formulas” is being offered for free when you purchase any other of his songwriting e-books.) Let these six e-books show you every aspect of how to write great songs! Read more..

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller are the legendary songwriting godfathers of rock and roll! They wrote some of the greatest, most memorable songs of all time including Elvis Presley hits like ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ ‘Treat Me Nice’ and ‘Hound Dog’ and a string of other classics including the Coasters’, ‘YaketyYak’ and ‘Poison Ivy,’ Ben E. King’s timeless hit ‘Stand by Me’ and the Drifters ‘On Broadway.’

Come enjoy an evening with Leiber & Stoller in Los Angeles at the California Copyright Conference. Reserve your seats now!

WHEN:
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
6:00 PM Book signing event
6:30 PM Cocktails
7:00 PM Dinner and panel discussion with Leiber & Stoller

WHERE:
Courtyard by Marriott, 15433 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

ORGANIZATION:
California Copyright Conference – theccc.org

For more information:
Email: scott@golosio.com
Url: http://www.theccc.org

Whenever you’re feeling under the weather, you can go and take medication for whatever ails you. But did you know you can treat your dog with some simple home remedies, too? For those of you who have an “itchy” dog, note Tip #5.

Tip #1

Vitamin E isn’t only good for treating those pesky wrinkles on your face; it’s also great for your dog’s dry skin. You can give a doggy massage by applying vitamin E oil to the skin, or go all “Hollywood” and pop your dog a pill (of vitamin E, that is).

If you give the vitamin orally, check with your vet on the recommended dosages for your specific dog breed.

Tip #2

Flavorless electrolyte-replacing liquids (e.g., sports waters or pediatric drinks) not only help athletes replenish fluids and babies rehydrate after illness, it can also supply your sick pooch’s body with much needed fluids after a bout of diarrhea or vomiting.

Consult your veterinarian as to the appropriate dosage amounts when using these types of liquids on your dog.

Tip #3

Deliciously plain yogurt is a healthy treat for your dog. The live acidophilus in the yogurt keeps the bad bacteria in the intestines down to a manageable level. If your dog is on antibiotics, a little yogurt will help keep yeast infections at bay. You can also give your dog acidophilus pills — wrapping the pills in bacon is strictly optional.

Puppies are especially prone to yeast infections, so a little plain yogurt as a snack (or even dessert) can help keep things in balance.

Tip #4

Chamomile tea. This tea uses the natural disinfecting effects of the chamomile plant to settle upset doggy tummies. It can also alleviate minor skin irritations once it is chilled in the fridge and sprayed onto the affected area on the dog’s raw skin. The dog should feel an immediate soothing effect as the chilled tea kills the yeast and/or bacteria on the skin.

Tip #5

An itchy dog can be quite an annoyance, especially as it goes around scratching itself on any piece of furniture it can reach. Forget the backscratcher. Buy some finely ground oatmeal (as in baby oatmeal cereal) and stir it into a bath of warm water. Your dog will thank you, trust us. Dogs with skin allergies, infections, and other diseases which cause itchiness have been shown to gain immediate relief with this approach, too.

Tip #6

Dogs can be like kids at times, and as such they are bound to suffer from wounds and swellings occasionally. Try treating these ailments with Epsom salt soaks and hot packs next time. A bath consisting of Epsom salt and hot water can help reduce the healing time and the swelling, especially when combined with prescribed antibiotics (and under veterinary supervision).

If soaking the dog in the Epsom salt (twice a day for five minutes) isn’t convenient for your schedule or the location of the dog’s wound, a clean towel drenched in the same solution can be applied to wounds with an almost identical effect.

Tip #7

Does your dog have fleas? Never fear, try some borax powder. The standard stuff at the store will work wonders on the fleas by poking holes in their crunchy insect exoskeletons.

A good way to make sure those parasitic suckers get annihilated is to sprinkle the borax on your floor then sweep or vacuum up the excess. Those invisible borax crystals left behind will kill the fleas and you won’t even have to lift a finger. It’s inexpensive and practically non-toxic compared to an appointment with the exterminator.

Home (or holistic) remedies aren’t just for those Hollywood types anymore. It’s important to take care of your dog when it’s feeling a little under the weather, and on a day-to-day basis. Most of all, it’ll help keeping your baby from crying like a hound dog.

Source:  PetMD Info

Posted: Just One More Pet

So the Project NY show was an amazing success.  The line looked fantastic and we did more business the first day in NY than we did all three days in the last Vegas show so I can only imagine what will happen at the next Vegas show.  I’m already getting ready for Compass this week!  Besides all our favorite buyers and many new buyers, we had some high profile people roll thru the booth as well.  The celebrity love continues.

First we had Kenny Loggins swing by and he was totally into the Vanquish in Purple Croco.

You might remember Kenny as the creator of some 80s megahits like Dangerzone!!!!

This video makes me want to jump up and exclaim “YES!!”  Totally my next karaoke conquest.

Shortly after, we had Ryan Grant of the Greenbay Packers, who was already a JUMP fan, check out the new line.

Again, at this show, the heavy hitters are the Vanquish and of course the new Zeto that will be in stores for August.  What we did was take these two items and really blow them up to offer our customers a lot of options.  Here’s a sneak peek at some of the new Vanquish that Courtney from American Rag picked out for her stores in the West Coast.

So after such a successful first day of show, we didn’t feel guilty partying hard after the second day of the show at our store in SoHo.  We had the usual fare, Serrano Ham (which always leaves me hungry for more the day after I have it), cocktails sponsored by Red Bull and of course, Johnnie Walker.

We had a fantastic turnout.

There’s me, Harry Chen and Lawrence Chen.

Here’s Michelle Suh, Bloomingdale’s Art Director and Cara Diorio, Bloomingdale’s Asst. Buyer.

Here we are with Don Calder, owner of Local Celebrity and his friend.

Some random Austrian people who were lucky enough to be walking down Spring St.

Starr Ferguson, Saks Buyer and my old Lord & Taylor colleague, getting herself the Vanquish in Green Purple Reflex Patent.

Herman and our homeboy Eric Yang, handbag manufacturing magnate.

Lerny and friend.

Xiao-li, Saks Assistant Buyer and Shawn, our Saks Buyer.

Diana Tse, Steven Alan buyer and Lana Wong.

Larry with a random cougar from the street.

Don’t know who those two dudes were but they got MINGED.

There’s Darius, YRB editor on the right with some friends.

Here’s Tahirah, owner of Krisol in LA, and I.

Ed Bennett, brought his friends, Faye Ly, actress and model and Tora Brava, musician to join the festitivies.

Some of our lovely staff manning the liquor.

Here’s Alex, certified ham slicer and Joy.  We conquered that ham.

And it looks like it was a big week for parties in SoHo as the next night Guess had a big opening party around the corner from us.

Lydia Hearst and Michelle Trachtenberg were there.

And the darling Amber Rose was looking fly.

We took this picture together after the interview but my boy, Henry, was all nervous and it came out like this.  She told Henry and I we were cute.  That’s why I’m blushing.

The following night was another event!  THE CENTER hosted the Midsummer Night’s Salon with my buddy’s Ed Bennett and Dusty Wright.  Following all the real performances we had a jam session where we did our rendition of Hound Dog.

It was quite a week!!

Coming back from Thailand,2PM made their appearance in SBS Inkigayo with their upcoming hit,I Hate You.Oh~I love the satge background.It fitted with the boys’ black-white outfits.There’s a special 4-screen scene in this video that you can’t miss.You gonna scream when you see Jay,Taec,Wooyoung and Junho doing their sexy dance moves in four angles at the same time.Good job and thank you so much cameramen ^^

Download: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

And another version of 2PM’s Energy song was out,too ^^ It’s 2PM runway version.I can tell that it’s SO DAMN HOT.I thought my whole body melt down when I was watching this video.OMG! There’s nothing in my mind but their sexy poses.The first turn was extremely super sexy.But the second turn was cute and funny,here’s my boys ^^

Download

2PM also performed in KBS Open Concert.It was so bad that it rained at that time.The stage was so slippery.I see that Taec almost felt twice.They danced so carefully.You can see it clearly when Jay and Junho switched their position in Chansung’s rap part.Poor them ==”.Then they sang the song “Hound Dog” with Nam Jin.Oh my~it was raining during that performance.Despite the rain,they still sang and smiled happily.I really appriciated their hard work. 2PM hwaiting!

Download: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 (Join files after download)

Download ~ Coming soon

…for an open concert. No cover/protection, sleeveless shirts, hardcore dance moves… all in the pouring rain! These boys are dedicated to put their lives out there for their fans. 2PM’s open concert (featuring Namjin). Good thing no one slipped because then I would’ve been outraged. Oh and no Nichkhun…

Again and Again:

Hound Dog (feat. Namjin)

Credits to yanaftwtwo.

Rock And Roll Will Never Die But It Becomes Perverted

by

R.E. Prindle

http://www.tabletmag.com/arts-and-culture/music/8898/their-magic-moment/ 

     I usually follow the ezine Tablet for a variety of interesting takes on contemporary society, of course from the Jewish point of view.

     As such Tablet unrelentingly puts down Whites, White culture and mores.  This doesn’t bother because the writers are usually Jews and of course Jews despise all things not Jewish.  In the cuurent issure (7/2/09) Tablet employs a Chinese sounding sort, Wesley Yang, to laud the Jews and put down Whites here in, as Mr. Yang puts it, ‘miscegenated America.’

     Mr. Yang’s essay is more or less a review of, or at least inspired by, the volume of Leiber and Stoller quotes entitled Hound Dog.  Leiber and Stoller entertained us vastly in the fifties.  Of course back then Jews hid their identity so no one knew Leiber and Stoller were Jewish nor would  we have cared.  We were all Americans then, not yet becoming Jews, Whites, Chinese and whatever.  It is only in the last few decades that the Jews have taught us that we’re Hound Dogs and they’re super cool, sporting an extra intelligence gene that they believe humbles the world.  Never mind that no one’s ever found it, it’s there they tell us, have faith, believe.

     Mr. Yang unselfconsciously makes some astounding comments that if made by others would indeed be blaphemous or in today’s parlance, racist.

      Mr. Yang says, and I quote:

          You needed people who could operate at the bloody crossroads where commerce, art and social change were converging.  All of which is to say that you needed Jews.

     Whether needed or not, which is open to question, we got ‘em.

     All of which is to say that according to Mr. Yang and one presumes his publishers, the editors of Tablet Magazine, is that Jews were firmly in control of the record industry  and hence by extension, American culture.  ‘What a fine mess they’ve gotten us into, hey Ollie?’  Not an astounding revelation but astounding that it was so openly revealed.  The obvious fact will immediately be contradicted if a White person makes it.  I make it, go ahead and contradict.

     Now, these Jews managed a music that Mr. Yang believes was created by ‘trashy whites.’  So if you’re White you should begin getting how the other side views you.  Nothing astounding there, either.

     I say nothing, or little, here about the Jews.  If you want a hint about the criminal side of Jewry I refer you to Gus Russo’s fabulous Supermob.  As to trashy Whites and the chinese I rather suspect there’s a little racial envy there, hey, Mr. Yang?  Anyone visiting San Francisco’s Chinatown has always been impressed by the wise old mandarins sitting behind their squalid counters selling trashy fake Chinese crap.  Buy for a dime, sell for 10.00 as authentic Chinese artefacts.  And then the Tongs.  Perhaps Mr. Yang will believe I’m referring to a large pair of tweezers but, no, I’m referring to the trashy chinese murderous criminal gangs who terrorize White, well any, merchants to extort their protection money.  Not to mention, of course, the fabled Chinese role in the drug business and people smuggling.  You can read ‘people smuggling’ as prostitution.

     Bash, bash, bash.  There’s the crux of my argument.  Mr. Yang speaking for the Chinese and in this case the Jews is hypocrisy personified.  If there were some amusing Chinese statue representing hypocrisy it would look like Mr. Yang sculpted.

     It becomes clear why the Jews and ‘minorities’ like Mr. Yang’s Chinese want anti-hate laws.  It is to indulge their own vile hatreds while gaining legal immunity.   Perhaps retaliation.  Who needs to, the truth is obvious.

July 1, 1956: Elvis appeared on the Steve Allen Show.

Steve Allen invited Elvis to appear on his show, but he refused to permit Elvis to dance. Allen was a pianist and a music lover; however, he didn’t appreciate rock and/or roll. For him, the “nonsense lyrics” of rock ‘n’ roll “were expressions of a semicoherent sexual frenzy.” He thought himself of a classier musical era, and often ridiculed rock musicians for their vapidity. In the case of Elvis’ on-air performance, Allen not only didn’t allow him to show off his signature sexy moves, he insisted that Elvis wear a white bow-tie and sing his hit, “Hound Dog” to a hound dog in a hat. If you don’t believe it, there’s a clip below. Apologies for the quality, but you can still make out Elvis, the dog and the hat.

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Once in a Hundred Years

Michael Jackson with the Reagans at the White House, 1984

From an e-mail to my son Eli, who was born in 1981 and who is therefore too young to remember and appreciate the greatness of Michael Jackson:

Phenomenal

Michael Jackson was a once-in-a-hundred-years phenomenon. Elvis and a few other rock-and-rollers, black and white, took “black” music and made it appealing to white audiences. Elvis’s “Hound Dog” is strictly twelve-bar blues. (“Hound Dog” was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton in 1952.)

But the rock-and-roll of the late 1950s and early 1960s was pretty white-bread, for the most part. Ironically, it took the British Invasion, with great bands like the Rolling Stones, to bring the blues back to America. In a different way, the Jackson Five reintroduced “black” tonalities and syncopation. So did James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, and some others, but the Jackson Five had almost universal appeal because they were kids, and their LEAD SINGER, whose voice was razor-true, was an 11-year-old kid who had moves like nobody had ever seen.

What’s even more impressive is that Michael Jackson was able to spin off on his own and become a one-person hit machine AND a genuinely gifted musician. If he had died at the top of his form, like George Gershwin and Mozart, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. We wouldn’t be looking back through this dark lens —which was the disintegration of a human being — to see the good stuff — and, with respect to the good stuff, it was brand new, there had never been anything like it, and that was true of Elvis, too.

No Problem

Here is my theory, which is based on my madcap drug-experimentation days, during which I took ONE Vicodin: People who are rich and famous NEVER have to be uncomfortable. They don’t have to sweat in the heat or shiver in the cold. In the winter they drive from one heated garage to another heated garage. All their physical needs are met instantaneously. So when they have pain of any kind, they just have their doctor-at-the-ready take care of it, and, wham, they’re addicted to painkillers, and the cycle toward death begins.

Farrah Fawcett, on the other hand, chose to remain alert and aware through her pain. She could have been sedated all the time until she was little more than a warm body, but she chose not to be.

I base these observations on my ONE Vicodin. I took it for debilitating pain, and the Vicodin got rid of that pain plus other pain I didn’t even know I had. I didn’t just feel pain-free, I felt like SuperMary, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. That is a very seductive feeling.

IN CONCLUSION — I think that drugs, for the most part — especially painkillers, antidepressants, A.D.D. and ADHD drugs, any medications that are intended to relieve symptoms but not to heal the disorder that causes them — should be used as tools to become healthier… like, if you take Prozac because you’re depressed because you’re a professional victim, Prozac can help you remain a professional victim and not feel bad about it… OR it can be a tool that gives you a break from feeling shitty all the time so that you can get your life in order and stop doing the things that make you depressed.

Life is all about solving problems. What are games, of all kinds — video games, crossword puzzles, tennis matches — except self-imposed problems, the kind we choose to do because it’s fun?

I don’t know if Alexander the Great really cried because he had no more worlds to conquer, but I know how he felt. Once your most basic needs are met — once you have solved the problems of food, clothing, and shelter — it requires character and discipline to continue to stretch, for your own sake and for the betterment of humankind.

I guess that, in a way, Michael Jackson — AND Elvis — died because they had run out of problems, or else because they lacked the will to solve them.

The End

By: Mom

The Jackson Five

And may Whoever Is On Duty bless you and your endeavors.

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How many IGs can fit into this?

Dear Mr. Wilson:

It is our great honor and pleasure to extend an invitation for you to speak at Porterhouse University. Our faculty has been impressed with your adventures and would like you to address our student body. All the necessary arrangements will be made to accompany your lodging needs.

We look forward to hearing from you soon so that our students may benefit.

Kind Regards,

William “The Boxer” Cunningham
President

This was the letter that I received upon returning home from the Superstition Mountains. Wow! Porterhouse University. THE prestigious Porterhouse University! Who would have ever thought that they would invite little old me to come and speak? Wait, how in the world am I going to get there?

“Sounds like a road trip, dude,” Gregrio drawled. He had been reading over my shoulder. “We have to get a car!”
“Do you even know how to drive?” Delfina condescendingly asked. Her mood had greatly soured since our last adventure and she demanded to sit out any future ones. She was so frightened that she had shed her hair like a chinchilla. Italian Greyhounds don’t have a lot to lose so any gone is a lot.

“No but I could learn,” I replied. “How hard could it be, really? The real question is, what kind of car should I get?”
“There’s this car out that an IG could drive,” Abby cut in. “I think it’s called a Smart car. It’s good for the environment, the perfect size for a small dog to drive and we’re going to a school. That’s only logical.”
“By the way,” Abby continued, smiling slyly. “I have some sorority sisters that would want to go. Whaddya say, Louie?”
“No problem but they have to chip in for gas,” I said. “The prices are crazy!”

We scheduled the speech with the school and packed up the car. Gregio called shotgun and I was behind the wheel. Abby and her sorority sisters were in the back seat, making jokes and giggling. She introduced them all. There was Stella, who demanded all the attention, Karma, who was a reputable great kisser, and Zoey, the shy one. Then there was Lexi, the bossy one, Deja, who was always cheerful, and Mea, the cute one. When I saw her, I immediately grew red in the face because I was smitten by her eyes. Mea’s hot!

“Ready for some tunes?” Gregio asked no one in particular. He selected a track on his iPod and the familiar song began.
As we roared off, the music began and everyone lifted their snout in the air and sang together:

“You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
Cryin’ all the time
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog
Cryin’ all the time
Well, you ain’t never caught a rabbit
And you ain’t no friend of mine”

I have added another member to our household. Her name is Lucy.

She is some sort of hound mix. I am thinking maybe a black and tan hound with beagle.

Who knows? She might be just a mutt that looks like a hound. Either way, she is really sweet and I believe that she is going to make a really wonderful pet for our family.

She was stray that wandered up to a friends house and my friend unsuccessfully tried to find the puppy a home. After a month, she brought the puppy in to the office with the hopes that someone would take her. Someone else did for two days, but that situation did not work out. So, I brought her home with me.

I haven’t had a dog in years. I have never had a house dog.

She has something in common with everyone in the family, I think.

Lucy is house broken.  Most everyone in our home is, except for Samuel (he is still in diapers).

She is an older puppy. I have two older kids that would probably be the equivalent of older puppies.

She is a she. I have one daughter, so having another female in the house should be fun.

She likes her blanket. Sebastian does, too.

She likes going outside. My husband loves being outside. He claims that it is too hot, but he stays out there all the time so it can’t be too bad.

She sheds. I do, too. I think it is hormones, on my part at least. I seem to remember shedding hair after having each baby. That is not her problem, though.

My mother is staying with the kids and she sent me a text earlier that said “Lucy made a little sound. Sebastian said it was her first word.”

You got to love kids…

This past weekend was the first official two day streak of summer weather in Wisconsin (finally!). I got to visit the pool, go out with girlfriends for a bachelorette party, ride motorcycles, and take Penny to the park. Here’s a gallery of my favorite photos from the park. I’m getting excited to take my camera out on weekend excursions more often and preserve the summer forever. Enjoy!