Waiting

Here's a picture I call "Waiting". I found this in the bowels of my archives. This is done in the old Paint program.....

Up Early

I am up a bit earlier than usual this morning. I made the choice to try pulling myself from the computer and getting to bed about an hour earlier with the intention to get up earlier. It worked. I got the same eight hours of sleep, but I woke up earlier, refreshed and ready to take on the day. I have been making different choices these days. Choices which nourish the life-force, and put me back into alignment with the reality that is coming alive in me. I am giving myself time now to do the things I want to do. Time has such a way of racing by. I am learning to embrace the moment rather than over thinking and obsessing about what is, and how that might possibly affect what will be. I am making conscious choices to move toward that which I fear. I know that fear is not negative. Fear is an excellent teacher, if one is willing to push through it and not cower before it.

I am re-reading The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron. It's good stuff if you are out to recapture your creative essence.

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Righteous Action

Stop trying. Stop striving, and learn to live again. Learn to let go. Learn to be free again. Unlearn the gestures of tyranny of self. Unshackle from the past. Let yourself flow with the freedom of the moment. Act from your limitless core. Speak the truth in love. Better yet, let the truth be expressed through holy silence feeding righteous action.

Embrace the multiplicity of life. Enjoy the fragments that produce such a varied prism of color.

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Beyond Our Means

"Our government has lived beyond its means for decades. We now
face a crucial juncture, at which we determine whether to continue down
the path of debt, inflation, and government intervention or choose to
return to the economics of the free market, which have been ignored for
almost a century. Increased debt leads to higher taxes on future
generations, while increased inflation diminishes the purchasing power
of American families and destroys the dollar. No society has ever
achieved prosperity through indebtedness or inflation, and the United
States is no exception. We cannot afford to continue our current
policies of monetary expansion and unending bailouts. Unless we return
to sound monetary policy, sharply reduce government expenditures, and
realize that the government cannot act as a lender of last resort, we
will drive our economy to ruin."
Ron Paul

"Wake up, people!"
Diet Pepsi Max.

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President Obama

Congratulations, President Obama!

Shift Happens

Wordless Wednesday - From The Getty Center Garden in L.A.

USC Parent's Weekend

Here are some pics from Parent's Weekend, including some at the Trojans VS Sun Devils. Trojans 28, Sun Devils 0! Fight on, Trojans!

New MacBook Pro

Apple replaced my MacBook Pro with the new model. I was given the choice of the previous model, which was set aside for me for a few weeks down at the Apple Store in Charleston, or, the brand new model. I took a chance and went for the new model. I am glad I was out of town for a while, because if I picked the machine up any earlier, I would not have had this option, as the new versions would not have been released yet.

Thanks to Casey Koronkowski, the incredible Apple Genius who treated me beyond my expectations, and expedited this exchange for me. Thanks also, Casey, for transferring my data so quickly and cleanly. All I had to do when I got home was turn this baby on and rock!

I like the keyboard better now than on the older MBP. It is way more responsive for my typing style. I know some people prefer the old style, but not me.

I am back in the saddle, and it feels allright!

It was worth the wait.

Instructions: Take a picture of yourself right now. Don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair - just take a picture. Post that picture with NO editing. Post these instructions with the picture.

My buddy , Andre Pope posted this on his blog, and it seemed cool, so there ya go!

"Niche Expression"

Everything has changed. The way we shop has obviously changed. The way we entertain ourselves and interact with others has changed. We no longer have to be slaves of what the big machine dictates. We don't need to put up with whatever "next big thing" they choose to spoon-feed, shove down our throats, or otherwise foist upon us.

In his enlightening and highly recommended book, Buying In, author Rob walker has this to say:

"The mass market - indeed, massness itself - is dead. No longer must we accept the stultifying, homogenized monoculture of decades past, as niche expression is made available to us at last. Companies must, as more than one guru has put it, provide personalization."

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Jury Duty

I have been selected for Jury duty here in myrtle Beach for the week. Today was the qualification process. They had one case for the day, and I was not selected. I am still required to appear each morning until Friday. The fact that the court is pretty much across the street from Broadway At The Beach, the place I work, makes the logistical aspect of attending pretty darn easy. If anything, I consider this experience a study in psychology and sociology. We humans seem to have mastered the fine art of getting ourselves into trouble.

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Ready For The Pool

Something New

I can't escape the feeling that new things are on the horizon for me and my family. It is now less than two weeks until Katie goes off to college. We leave on August 19th (this is also Betsy's Birthday). Move-in day is the 20th.

It will certainly be a different dynamic around this little house, but I am thrilled that Katie has such a great opportunity ahead of her.

Quiet

I have been quiet. I really haven't had all that much to say lately. I have been overloaded with information. Sometimes I see no reason to add to the cacophony of absurdity, the vanity of babble. The foolishness of ego-driven opinion. The hollow emptiness of words.

Time Machine

I have been keen to try Time Machine, and I have been on the lookout for a reasonable deal on an a backup drive. Today i found one at Circuit City. I found a Western Digital MyBook 500GB drive for $99.95. I snapped it up and headed home. There was nothing to setting it up and now my Mac is backed up automatically. I am happy with this process. As a fairly non-technical person, this seems a quick and complete backup solution. I was doing some manual backups to my other external drive, my portable one, but I have some peace of mind knowing that all my stuff is secure.

Orientation Complete

Today was the final day of Katie's orientation at USC. She has also registered for classes for her first semester, and we basically have all of our ducks in a row. It has been an extremely busy couple of days, with a tight schedule, and not much wiggle room at all. The time has gone by very quickly. I was hoping to get together with some old friends, but as it turns out, we simply didn't have the time. We will be back on a regular basis though, and I am sure we can do that next time around.

We have a very early flight tomorrow, which means we will be at LAX by 6AM or earlier. Ugh.

The USC thing being done is a major load off my mind. I'm sure Katie is relieved to be done with all the rigamarole as well.

If any of my buddies are reading this, sorry I didn't get a chance to see you, but I'll be back soon and will try again then!

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RIP George Carlin

Greetings from L.A.

We have arrived in L.A. This is a pic from Jim's house Sunday afternoon. We are here for Katie's USC orientation this Tuesday and Wednesday. We are all pretty wiped from the trip, but I believe as the evening comes on we are starting to rally. It's hot here, but not the humid hot in Myrtle Beach. It is supposed to cool down by about twelve degrees, and then down seventeen degrees by the day after tomorrow, which is my kind of weather. I love this town!

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Pics From Last Night's Show @ Fresh Brewed

Rog and I had a blast playing at Fresh Brewed last night. Thanks to all the great people who came to the show, old friends and new.

Here are some pics...

Me, Orson Welles, Roger

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day!

I lost my dad on my twenty first birthday. That would be July 8th, 1984. It seems like another time and another life, yet in other ways, it seems like just yesterday. It has now been almost twenty four years since then. That means that I have been alive longer without my dad than I was alive with him. I miss him every day.

People, enjoy your dad while he is here to enjoy. Because all that can change in the blink of an eye.

Vote Republican. Get What you deserve.

Test

This is a test for ScribeFire, the Forefox add on. It allows you to post from your blog directly from Firefox. At least it's supposed to. So here we go.....Testing, one, two, three. Check two, two.

SXSE SHOW

I played the SXSE Music Feast at the historic Train Depot in downtown Myrtle Beach last night. I opened for Dangermuffin, a band out of Charleston, who rocked, and were awesome dudes to boot!

My brother Roger was kind enough to back me up on keyboards, despite the fact that he had a gig later last night at Wild Wing Cafe with his band Sick Stooges. After my show, we went to see them, and a good time was had by all.

Rog and I played about an hour's worth of my songs, and we also played "Hurt", the Trent Reznor song that my hero Johnny Cash made famous, as our final song.

Seth Funderburk from Sea Note Recording did a bang up job making us sound presentable!

Thanks Jeff Roberts, and all the fine folks who made this wonderful event happen, and continue to keep the series going, and all the great work this organization does for Horry County Schools.

The first four pictures are from the SXSE gig. The last picture is taken of Sick Stooges at Wild Wing Cafe later in the evening. My brother rocks!

Decline Of Empires: The Signs Of Decay

I found this highly provocative and compelling. Sobering. Infuriating when I think about the sad state of affairs we are in, and the lies that are shoved down our throats by our supposed government and the big business that owns it.

This is long, but worth a look.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Happy Mother's Day, you brave and beautiful mothers! I hope your day is blessed and happy.

Fight On!

It's official. Katie has chosen The University of Southern California for her College career. As soon as we walked in to the campus I could tell it was special.The school spirit was off the charts, and I know Katie likes that a lot. We toured the entire place. The student who was walking us through was really nice and helpful, which was cool. We sat in on a sample lecture on neuroscience, which was fascinating. The professor who was doing the lecture was extremely gifted, and he knew how to keep us interested. I was also happy to know that the classes are not super large. That was one of my concerns, but that is not the case. I am not a huge sports fan, but their little football team is supposed to be pretty good as well! It should prove to be a wonderful life experience for Katie. It's ironic that she is going to L.A., as it is where I grew up. Another benefit of Katie going there is that I get to visit quite a bit. Next up is the orientation sometime this summer. Away we go in to a new phase of life. I am happy for Katie, as well as a bit nervous about this big change. L.A. is a long way away, but she seems excited about going, and I am happy for her and excited for her as well.

The only problem is, being here in South Carolina, I have to be constantly telling people that the USC I am referring to is the other one. The real one (I kid, Gamecock fans). That should be fun.

Boston

A few more pics.

Boston

Here are a few images from our recent Boston trip. We went up to take a second look at Boston College now that Katie has been accepted and was offered a generous financial aid package and scholarships. It is coming down to crunch time for her, as she needs to make a choice here by May 1st. Katie, her friend Juliana Carter, Betsy and I had a great time on this whirlwind trip.

Live Now - Forget the Future.

I want to expand my horizons without any mind to the outcomes. I leave the outcome to God, as I consciously live in the present moment. I give up the illusion of the future as salvation; as a diversion from living fully today. I give up the false security of the future. I always put things off for some imaginary time when I have it all together. I now realize that that time will never come. The time is now. Get up and live. Rise up in the swelling tide of possibility. Flow with the creative spirit. Don't put off embracing life now. Enjoy what life has to offer; participate now in the Divine nature. Be the solution. Be. Abide in Christ, and don't hide your light under a bushel. You are the loving manifestation of a holy God that is love itself. You were brought forth in love. Everything else is false. Everything else is ego-based. Live in the light of Now. God wants to use you in your life where you are right now. You are a part of God. Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow will take care of itself. Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. You need not be concerned about the outcomes anymore. You do not need to put your hopes in a future you cannot control. Let go. Die to self, to ego. It is when you truly die to self that you finally really come alive. You will see with new eyes; everything will be shining and radiant. You will see the spark of life in all things. Everything will be washed and you will be able to finally see things as they really are, free from the filters of ego, artifice, self-seeking, and ambition.

CREATE SOUTH WAS A BLAST!

The CREATE SOUTH conference was a blast.
Here's a shot of Roger Yale and Paul Reynolds having some geeky fun!

Market Common Corporate Nightmare

Betsy and I went down to the new Market Common yesterday afternoon. It's a new corporate nightmare in town, with shopping, dining and living all pre manufactured and artificially created down at the old airbase. We had a look around and quickly left. There is no reason whatsoever to return. I have seen enough. It's the same kind of bullshit that most cities have. Like the Grove in Hollywood, or the Santa Monica Promenade. Or the Faneuil Hall marketplace in Boston. That kind of phony corporate shopping environment that turns my stomach. Inorganic. Forced. A tourist trap. A marginal Yuppie paradise. Like a commercial biosphere of materialistic poison. I shall not return. I just saw Into The Wild last night. I have had many moments of questioning just like Chris did in that movie. He was more messed up than I am, and I used to eat acid like candy!

I guess I'm just in search of the real thing. Where is authenticity?

Dr. King - We Will Always Remember You.

Anniversary #21

Today Betsy and I celebrate our twenty first anniversary. I find it hard to believe that we are already at this milestone. That means that Betsy had been married to me almost longer than she hasn't been married to me. That's strange to think about. The really weird thing is that Katie is almost as old as Betsy was when I met her. Whoah!

We have had our ups and downs to be sure, but our love remains strong, and our dedication to each other is still solid. Thank God. I am not always an easy person to be around, although I'm good for a laugh occasionally. Slapstick is my specialty, acerbic wit not withstanding.

I have been truly blessed.

Post 400. All is Vanity.

I seem to be at an odd place in my life. Lately I have had a serious issue with depression and anxiety, to the extent that I have been immobilized. Lately it is hard for me to do anything. I have been pretty much stuck, although I have been playing a hell of a lot of guitar, which has moved me to other levels on the instrument, both acoustic and electric. I need to get away and clear my head. Lots of things have been going on. Katie is getting ready to make a decision for college and we are going to be doing a few quick trips this coming month to check a few things out. It's also picking up at the store, and to be quite honest I don't know how much more I can handle in the capacity of retail. I left once a few years ago. It felt good to get away. I need to do it again. I need to take a leave of absence. I have to figure out what to do now that Katie is leaving the nest. This is a crossroads to be sure. Once Katie is situated in the university of her choice, I can't really see a reason to hang around Myrtle Beach. This place has never felt like home to me. It still doesn't. It has been a great place for Katie to grow up. For that I am grateful, but there was never anything holding this place dear to me. I work for my Father-in-law. He was kind enough to give me a job when I got laid off from Capitol Records and we decided to move here to raise Katie away from L.A. I am having an extremely hard time getting excited about waiting on people in the store. It's just about too much for me. I have completely lost interest in cigars and tobacco. That's not a good thing to happen if you work in a world-class cigar shop. I have been in a few bands down here but nothing ever really amounted to much. As a matter of fact I was pretty disillusioned with the state of the music scene (or lack of it) just about as soon as I got involved with it when I moved here from Los Angeles in 1992. That in itself is daunting to me. The fact that we have been here about sixteen years makes me shake my head in disbelief. Where the time went is anyone's guess. I don't know where I am going with this but I needed to clear the air. I am truly grateful for my family and all the great friends I have made here, but I am rethinking the whole thing. Maybe I just need to hit the road for a while and come back refreshed. Lot's of maybes from me right now. I own the responsibility for my actions and my choices. I alone am to blame for my enervation. Right now I am praying for guidance. I am learning to trust the song of the spirit again. I am learning to resonate in harmony with my nature and to listen for the answer in the stillness. It's been a long time since I listened. I am listening now.

Easter Thought

If Christ did not rise from the dead, we who believe are most to be pitied, and our faith is in vain.

In Respect to my Lord on Good Friday

Matthew 27

Judas Hangs Himself

1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. 2They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood."
"What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."

5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

6The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money." 7So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. 8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me."^[a]

Jesus Before Pilate

11Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.

12When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" 14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

15Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.

19While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."

20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

21"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor.
"Barabbas," they answered.

22"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked.
They all answered, "Crucify him!"

23"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"

25All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"

26Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

27Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. 30They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.^[b] 36And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"

41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " 44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi,^[c] lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"^[d]

47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."

48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."

50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son^[e] of God!"

55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

The Burial of Jesus

57As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63"Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."

65"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Five Years in Iraq

Today marks five years in Iraq. Five years in, and Bush is still trying to bullshit us. I am weary to the bone over this disaster. God have mercy on all the unfortunate souls who have been killed on the basis of lies. God help the brave kids that have been maimed and then shipped home, many of which come home to neglect and horrible or almost nonexistent medical care and follow through. And yet our fearless leader keeps on crowing about victory. How did this all go so dreadfully wrong? How do we reclaim any shred of dignity or self-respect as a nation again?

CREATE SOUTH CONFERENCE

The Grand Strand Bloggers are proudly hosting the CREATE SOUTH New Media Conference April 19th, 2008 from 9AM-5PM.

CREATE is an acronym. It stands for Carolina Regional Exposition of Art Technology, and Education.

We are up and running. Registration is free and you can do so at the home page HERE.

Here is my buddy Dave Slusher's take on the expo. I scraped this from his blog. I hope you don't mind Dave, but you said it so well.....

CreateSouth, New Media Conference in Myrtle Beach April 19th

Posted on March 14, 2008
Filed Under conferences, myrtlebeach |

OK kids, registration for the CreateSouth conference is open for business! The conference is April 19th from 9 to 5 PM in downtown Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. All attendees are invited, whether you live and breath new media or are interested but slightly frightened by it. If you are a professional journalist or a politician or a pastor or a musician and want to learn how to make new media work in your career, this is for you. If you have wanted to blog or podcast or videoblog but aren’t sure where to start, this is for you. The goal of this conference is to get the newbies and the wizards together in the same room, talking and hanging out and sharing meals. Our focus is hands on demonstration and we are assembling the program right now to reflect that. The idea of the conference is that if there is some project you want to do but haven’t tackled because the learning curve is too high, you should walk out of the conference knowing where to start and maybe with an email address or three of people that can help you if you get into trouble.

Everyone is welcome that wants to travel to Myrtle Beach in April, but our primary geographic target is the southeast. If you live in the Carolinas or Georgia or Tennessee and are interested, tell your friends, carpool and share a room, come and have a big time with us. We picked April because it is the part of the year when hotels are still considered “out of season” and thus cheaper but the weather has a strong probability of being beautiful. You can bring your whole family. Those who are interested can attend the conference and for those who aren’t, the beach is two blocks away from the site. There is more miniature golf than you can shake a tiny putter at, water parks and movie theaters and all kind of attractions within a few miles of the conference.

We really need a push from the blogosphere to get the word out. Please link to the CreateSouth website, talk it up, tell your friends, suggest programming items you’d like to experience and volunteer to present ones that you know. This is a grassroots conference organized by the Grand Strand blogging community so there is no large organization behind it, just a few individuals who want to make this happen. My unofficial description is that “the Grand Strand Bloggers are throwing themselves a party and seeing who dances.” Come dance with us, friends.

***********************
We hope to see you here!

YALE BROTHERS SHOW EPISODE 2

Listen to/download this episode here.

Some of the audio is sketchy. Sorry about that.

Show notes:

Hollywood High School

Hollywood Professional School

L.A. City College

Peggy Lee

Tony Bennett

Peyton Hall

McLean Stevenson

Magic Castle

Wallich's Music City

Drum City/Guitar Villa

Magic Castle Hotel
Our dad ran this place. We came of age there.

Hollywood Magic

Hollywood Toys

Rog said The Who by Tommy. Oops! Hey Rog, it's Tommy by the Who, dummy!

Robert Morse

Rock Hudson

Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel

The Grand Strand

Sick Stooges

Chris Yale - Well Enough Alone

Podsafe Music:
Technicolor Town by Chris Yale
Available on the PMN

Chris Yale Interviewed on For The Sake Of The Song

Check out my interview with Sean McGaughey from the For the Sake Of The Song Podcast.

I met Sean through the medium of podcasting, and we have become good friends. Sean is an excellent songwriter and performer in his own right, and his podcast is excellent.

Check his show out. Start with my interview and work backwards!

Yale brothers in 1992 Sass Jordan Video

I found this on YouTube on a whim. Rog and I are in the band in this video from 1992. I am the guy with the cream colored Telecaster wearing the black leather hat usually standing on the far right. Rog and the keyboards are on the left. Not a whole lot of on-camera time, but it was a lot of fun. John Corabi is on the other guitar and hogs most of the video (lol). That was right at the time that he was replacing Vince Neil in Motley Crue. The bass player is Kelly Nickels of L.A. Guns. I forgot the drummer's name, but he was cool. He was actually the only one on stage other than Sass that was on the record.

Myrtle Beach Marathon

Victoria Vox

Rog and I were one of the acts opening for Victoria Vox at Croissants this evening. She is awesome. It was wonderful seeing her again. I met her last year when she was in the area. Kayton Roberts and his wife were also playing this evening. He is the most amazing pedal steel player I have ever been in the same room with. I am mesmerized by his sound. He played with all the greats, including playing in Hank Snow's band for years. It was a wonderful evening, and I was glad to be a part of it. The place was jammed. Sorry Paul, Tracy, Andre, and Heidi about the lack of seating. I truly appreciate you guys dropping by. I had no Idea it was going to be so jammed.

Good Rehearsal

I just wrapped up a great rehearsal with my keyboard playing, ivory tickling maniac brother. We cruised through about eight of my tunes, and went over some spots that needed work. We are also working out some vocal harmonies. We are going to head out on Friday and play a few numbers over at Croissants. They have a great open mic over there. It's a nice place to try some stuff out in front of a very receptive crowd. This will be the first time Rog and I have played together in a while. I think it's high time we get out and about, and coming from a recluse like me that's saying something. I am perfectly content to shut myself up in my room and read or play the guitar or record or what have you, but that's not exactly healthy, now is it?

Katie and Bill

Bill Clinton was speaking at Myrtle Beach high School and my daughter was able to speak to him for a few moments. Her history teacher got Katie and her friend Juliana up to the front row. I wish I was there, as I like Mr. Clinton. That doesn't mean I am automatically voting for Hilary. I am leaning toward Edwards, mainly because of the debate, where he came out much more level-headed than Hilary and Obama, who were much more focused on mud slinging than dealing with the issues, in my opinion. 

When Your Number's Up

When your number's up there's really not a damn thing you can do about it. When it's your time to go, you are most definitely going, whether or not you have packed a bag, booked a room, got right with God , succeeded in spending your child's inheritance voted in the primary, brushed your teeth, changed your underwear, checked your portfolio, raked the leaves, or anything at all. For all of our trying to be in control, ultimately, in regard to mortality, we have no control whatsoever. You can't request a late checkout, either. Live in light of that. And strive to travel light.