MY BELEW MARBLE

Undone: What a great weekend... in the history of weekends...

2010-11-29T13:38:00.000-05:00

Undone: What a great weekend... in the history of weekends...: "What a great weekend... in the history of weekends (mine at least) there have been only a few really great ones. Interestingly enough, a few..."

2009-12-25T23:36:00.001-05:00

All I want for Christmas is a brand new start
All I want for Christmas is to unbreak my heart
All I want for Christmas is to not completely fall apart
All I want for Christmas is a brand new start

2009-12-23T14:46:00.001-05:00

"Picnik Show"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADRIAN BELEW !!!!

2009-12-23T08:33:00.001-05:00

Adrian Belew - Pretty Pink Rose - music video

Adrian Belew | MySpace Video

Happy Holiday !

2009-12-21T13:50:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to pass along some holiday cheer…

From us ("the wishor") to you ("hereinafter called the wishee") Please accept without obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, politically correct, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all... and a financially successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but with due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures or sects, and having regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform or dietary preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting you are bound by these terms that:

1. This greeting is subject to further clarification or withdrawal.

2. This greeting is freely transferable provided that no alteration shall be made to the original greeting and that the proprietary rights of the wishor are acknowledged.

3. This greeting implies no promise by the wishor to actually implement any of the wishes.

4. This greeting may not be enforceable in certain jurisdictions and/or the restrictions herein may not be binding upon certain wishees in certain jurisdictions and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wishor.

5. This greeting is warranted to perform as reasonably may be expected within the usual application of good tidings, for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first.

6. The wishor warrants this greeting only for the limited replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wishor.

7. Any references in this greeting to "the Lord", "Father Christmas", "Our Saviour", or any other festive figures, whether actual or fictitious, dead or alive, shall not imply any endorsement by or from them in respect of this greeting, and all proprietary rights in any referenced third party names and images are hereby acknowledged.

Jeff Black Christmas Card / Album / Podcast

2009-12-19T12:16:00.001-05:00

Get Your Jeff Black Christmas Podcast Free !!!

2009-12-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

Blast from the past...

2009-12-16T20:52:00.000-05:00

Stick It !

Block & Blue ( R-16 Vol. One )

2009-12-16T16:45:00.000-05:00

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

2009-12-16T11:08:00.000-05:00

Dead Air Conditioner

2009-12-15T20:19:00.001-05:00

Found a favorite in the music player above ?
Discovered a new artist from my playlist ?
Tell me about it in the comment section.

Thanks !

Today, so far... say howdy to your neighbor.

2009-12-15T20:17:00.000-05:00

Johnson City, TN, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:16:41 -0600
Franklin, TN, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:57:32 -0600
Warsaw, Poland Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:20:05 -0600
Urbana, IL, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:51:34 -0600
, , United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:08:56 -0600
Sacramento, CA, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:07:11 -0600
Dayton, OH, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:06:07 -0600
Dundee, United Kingdom Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:02:32 -0600
Baker, WV, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:01:37 -0600
Philadelphia, PA, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:00:52 -0600
Fallon, NV, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:59:53 -0600
Saint Louis, MO, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:54:33 -0600
Morehead, KY, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:53:05 -0600
Quinter, KS, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:51:07 -0600
Johnson City, TN, United States Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:10:48 -0600
Raalte, Netherlands Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:33:47 -0600
Moscow, Russian Federation Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:13:39 -0600

Prudhomme's Recipes

2009-12-15T19:46:00.002-05:00

I have decided, after much thought, that I am going to produce every recipe that Chef Paul has included in his book as linked above in 365 days. That's 876 spicey dishes in 365 days !

Forget it... canned chili it is for tonight.
I do love me some cajun cooking though.

( I made up the number 876 if anyone is counting )

Sinking Ship

2009-10-29T10:53:00.000-04:00

All the Roots Grow Deeper When It's Dry

2009-03-24T13:24:00.001-04:00

Summer lasted a generation

A generation - and then the winter wind

The bounty harvest that seemed so endless

It seemed so endless until it gave what it could give

Prosperity will have its seasons

Even when it's here, it's going by

And when it's gone we pretend we know the reasons

And all the roots grow deeper when it's dry.

It looked so easy, we change the weather

We would turn this world ourselves our world so small

But slower rhythms - still unheard of

Said that every blessed summer someday has to fall

- David Wilcox
© David Wilcox, All rights reserved.

MUSICAL WEEKEND AHEAD !!! UPDATED !!!

2008-09-17T22:12:00.007-04:00

(click banner to see the schedule)

Guess the top five acts on my list of "must see" artists

and win a CD by one of those artists, my choice.

( in the event of multiple correct guesses, winner will be

chosen with extreme prejudice )

You can leave your guess in comments or, e-mail me.

If you leave your guess in the comments, be prepared

to give me your mailing info off site.

Time is short, act now !

_______CONTEST FINI_______

Well, the musical weekend is behind us now...

A fine weekend indeed.

The atmosphere downtown made it seem

like a different place. People came from miles

around and enjoyed the novel ability to stand

with one foot in Tennessee and the other in Virginia.

As for the contest, I had two very close

guesses with a correct three out of five.

No one got all five...

Awwww.......

Sam Bush Band

Mike Marshall

w/Big Trio (Alex Hargreaves & Paul Kowert)

Darrell Scott

Scott Miller & The Commonwealth

Robinella

These were the top five on my list of artists

to see.

There were several bands in the second tier

selection process that could have easily been

bumped up a notch but, I had this list set

before the contest and I'm sticking to it.

Click on the links to each and learn why...

More later.

A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY

2008-08-31T14:08:00.001-04:00

MY BELEW MARBLE CELEBRATES IT'S 5,000th VISITOR WITH A SONG, OF COURSE...

2008-08-19T18:45:00.003-04:00

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Nashville Parts & Pieces

2008-08-16T16:59:00.003-04:00

Adrian's cheat sheet for "partial lyrics" : The Construction of Light,

in which, as an experiment, he assigned words to certain notes.

Nashville Trip, Over Due Report

2008-08-16T13:13:00.010-04:00

OVERDUE REPORT ON MY JOURNEY TO NASHVEGAS

( not that anyone was really on the edge of their chair )

This trip was divided in purpose:

a. To visit with family

b. To witness the return of King Crimson ,Version VIII

I will address the "b." section of this journey in the two

following posts as to not cause those interested in show reports

to have to wade through the personal aspects.

Franklin is home to my oldest sister and her husband, my nephew,

his wife and daughter, live in the same neighborhood.

It is always nice to be able to combine pleasure with pleasure.

I arrived in Franklin on August 1st after making

he 4.5 hour drive from Eastern TN.

It was a lovely day, hot though it was.

carried with me boxes of family photos which

haven't been seen for many a moon, some I don't

know that I have ever seen or was too young to

appreciate.

These photos date back to the 1800s through the 1980s.

My other sister, here in the east, has been the keeper of

said boxes, not necessarily by choice.

So, it was to be a weekend of travel through history.

We started this process very soon after arrival pictures

pread out across the dining room table.

Lot's of memories, many of which had been buried and

were, suddenly, back in the light. More good ones

but some, I'd just as soon forget. Oh well, we must

face the past to understand the present, no ?

Friday evening was to be composed of dinner followed

by a nice evening of music under the stars.

As reported in an earlier post, we were to see jazz

songstress Annie Sellick and her band with

guest artist, Jeff Coffin of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones.

As it turns out, Jeff Coffin had to cancel, no matter.

My sister had invited a friend to join us for dinner

and the concert, a lovely woman whom she

had met on the local Mah Jong circuit, which

seems to have quite the following in the community.

We enjoyed a nice dinner of lasagna ( taken from

a Southern Living recipe, can't go wrong.)

, fruit, bread and great company.

Then it was time to load up and head over to the concert.

I really like the community and the town of Franklin.

My sister's neighborhood is pretty new, in fact, building

is still in progress and eventually, they will have their own

shopping area which will eliminate the need to really go anywhere.

By contrast, I live in an older neighborhood from back in the day

when everyone has a good sized yard, no neighborhood organization to speak of

and, no rules per se. Of course we look out for each other and respect

our respective spaces, with some exceptions, but that's another story.

The sense of community there in my sister's 'hood is

something to behold, very attracting. This concert series

is a good example. Of course, lots of people of the music

industry reside there so, music has to play a part.

The homes are all magnifico and designed after older,

landmark architecture of downtown Franklin.

So, the neighbors gather on the lawn around a grand,

sculptured fountain with chairs, beverages, some with

food, to enjoy some fine music and witness the setting of

the sun.

I always keep a couple of bag chairs in my car for just such an occasion.

Annie Sellick and her band were very enjoyable.

Upright bass, drums,keyboard,trumpet and vocals. Mostly jazz standards.

( Editor's note: Blogger has an issue with line spacing after adding a picture in the body of a post, until I learn how to deal with said issue, we are stuck with double spacing, arrrgghhh. )

The company was the more enjoyable aspect of this concert on the lawn. My nephew and my sister's friend joined us. Eventually, we wandered up the street to finish the concert on the front porch of more friends of my sister's. We could still hear the music as long as it lasted but, conversation was now the order of the evening, most enjoyable.

The rest of the weekend in Franklin was pretty laid back, which as fine by me. Visiting, looking through the boxes of memories, enjoying good meals.

Sunday afternoon, I had my first lesson in Mah Jong when my sister invited yet another friend to join us and to give me some pointers and rules. Very much fun though, more complicated then I imagined.

Saturday night, at the first King Crimson show, I was fortunate enough to secure a second ticket for the Sunday show, my hope was that I could persuade my sister's friend ( from the Friday evening concert ) to join me. Sadly, due to health reasons, she had to decline. I was somewhat disappointed as I didn't see her again for the rest of my visit.

Monday was a relaxed leisurely morning, I loaded up and headed east around noon. I only made one stop on the way home, at a doomed Starbucks where I filled my cup and purchased five pounds of "Pike Place" whole coffee beans. ( Saving 10 bucks by bulk. ) ;-)

I'm enjoying a cup as we speak...

Read further if you are interested in the King Crimson shows.

( Which got posted in the wrong order, oops. )

King Crimson V.VIII August 3rd, Nashville (Night Two)

2008-08-16T12:03:00.010-04:00

After the show Saturday night and, before dinner, we stayed around
the venue for a while, chatting with other fans, absorbing the glow
of the aftershow.
We noticed that the car next to mine had a parking ticket on it, $50.00. Ouch !

The venue sent out a last minute e-mail stating that we could use the lot
for free but, we had to get a ticket by using a special code.

Pat and Gavin came out and chatted with those of us hanging about, signed some
stuff, the usual escape / meet & greet stuff.
Gavin eventually got in the vehicle with the ticket on it. ( Maybe Pat too )
I hoped they wouldn't have to pay that fine.

Sunday afternoon, I arrived in Hillsboro Village a little later then I did Saturday,
my brakes sounding somewhat similar to the discordant section of Sex, Sleep,
Eat, Drink, Shave (optional), Dream.

Tickledrop was holding our place in line this time and I was able to stand in line
for a shorter period. Thanks Tickle !
Her sister was to join us also, she arrived a little later.
Again, it was fun getting to know our queue mates.
A young couple in front of us from Arkansas were there for their first K.C. experience,
they can be seen in a Sid Smith vid on the DGM site as well as Tickledrop ( Rena Faye).
The edge of my white shirt also made the cut .

Second row tonight, directly in front of the Twang Bar King.
I managed to stay with Tickledrop and her sister for the duration this time and
what fun it was.

After we settled, we took turns making our way back up to the lobby for more merch
perusing and bathroom breaks.
The ever lovely Martha was at the top of the aisle with Ava & Leah. My, Ava has sure grown.

We spoke briefly, exchanged hugs, and then got ready for showtime.

Merch, merch, merch...

I picked up the Gavin Harrison cd "Drop" and # 12 of only 500 of the lithograph

of the In The Court of the Crimson King cover art. Tickledrop has # 13.

( Too much money on merch ! )

Tickledrop gifted me with a Discipline "celtic knot" mousepad, which made great personal

fans when the room got too warm. ( the A.C. in The Belcourt actually works very well )

Thanks Tickledrop !

The same intro music, the same announcement except, this time the announcer allowed
a little more space for thunderous applause after the "40th Anniversary Tour" part.

The Crim hit the stage to an a standing ovation , to which Adrian replied, "Thank you, goodnight !"
Always good for a laugh, that one.

Drum Duo
Construction of Light
Red

I think they got a standing ovation after each one of these...
Correct me if I am wrong, anyone. I was prepared to give them a

standing O after each song but, I don't think the crowd was up to that idea. lol

Neurotica
Three of a Perfect Pair
( Adrian wasn't quite in effects position for the solo part in this one, recovered nicely )

Vroom / Coda

Walking On Air

( Replaced "One Time" from last night, a gorgeous rendering, beautiful ! )

B'Boom
Dinosaur

( Always a crowd favorite )

Level 5
Talking Drum
Larks

( Scorching ! )

Encore:

There was a drum barrage intro here that included
the band and sounded like a new song was taking shape.
It held great promise. Tickledrop and her sister said that Tony sounded like a hellicopter while Robert sounded like a train. )

Thela

Encore again

We knew they were coming back out because
Martha, Leah and Ava were up at the stage clapping
along with the crowd...

They knew something we didn't.

Indiscipline
Elephant Talk

E.T. is always special with Tony on the finger extensions, which look to me like sawed off drumsticks after seeing them a little closer, the tapping effect adds something to the performance. ( Though I do appreciate Trey Gunn's additions as well )

They were even tighter this night, more confidant after
first night jitters were swept away, which were undetectable
to this audient.

Again we stuck around the venue for a while, getting to know attendees and

releasing some of the electricity accumulated from another electrifying experience.

Stood around with Martha in the lobby for a bit, meeting a member of her family and

chatting about "the name" for a bit.

I was gifted with a coveted laminate, Access All Areas pass. ( as seen above )

Not wanting to be a pester, yet, not wanting to waste the opportunity, I decided to

wander back stage, passing Robert in the hallway, he did not speak, as expected.

I had to cross the stage to access the Greenroom, only way to get there. It was a mighty treat

to cross the Crimson stage while crew was busy with the load out. I half expected someone to

say something to me but, the power of the laminate made me invisible.

I went to the Greenroom where Adrian, Gavin and others were hanging about.

I got Gavin to sign my copy of his cd, "Drop", a collaboration with 05ric.

Adrian signed the gig poster.

I didn't stay long I didn't want to abuse the privilege or seem like a stalker

type fan.

Again, we strolled down to Bosco's and again, we were seated next to Adrian and company.

Adrian came over and sat with us for a while and signed some more "stuff".

It was a fabulous close to the wonderful musical portion of a great weekend.

I headed back to Franklin after saying goodbyes to new friends, brakes grinding and

scrunching all the way. They would have to wait... after all, I didn't need to use them

much on the way home.

When I did get home, I got my brakes repaired, the next day, my driver's side door

nearly fell off. It was kind of like the car in The Blue's Brothers Movie when it fell apart

at the end. lol

Glad it waited.

King Crimsn V.VIII in Nashville, August 2nd, 2008

2008-08-16T10:50:00.009-04:00

I have been slow in producing a report from the Nashville warm up shows. Frankly, it's been difficult to put into words, either held back by lack of writing abilities ( talking about music is like whistling about chickens ) or by the overwhelming nature of the weekend in total which is hard to separate.

I've decided to concentrate on events that took place in Hillsboro Village.( Home of The Belcourt Theater, once home to The Grand Ole Opry )

The Belcourt holds 370 people, as I learned in line, two rows of folding chairs were placed in front of the front row of permanent seating.

Very nice theater which has a heavier film schedule then it does for live music events.

You could not tell this by the way they handled this event, very efficient, very friendly and professional.

I arrived in Hillsboro Village at approximately 3:45 p.m. on August 2nd with intentions

toward grabbing a bite before joining the queue but, as I noticed the line was forming

and, wishing to secure a premium vantage point, I opted to forgo nutritional considerations and join the parade.

It was a scorching day in the Music City, mid to high 90s. The humidity factor was such that I was dripping in short order, like one of our favorite musicians at work.

You could wave a cup through the air and gain a glass of hot water for high tea. I soldiered through it.One of the highlights of attending such an event is meeting the other people who obviously share some interests, it makes passing the time under the bright blue sun bearable. ( okay, so the sun wasn't actually blue on this day.)

One nice fellow in my section of queue, poured himself a cup of flavoured water and handed me the rest, seeing as how I was losing internal moisture at a dangerous rate. Good people these Crimso fans. Others made bottled water runs and replenished the folks around them. I could not leave the line as I was, at this point, a solo act.

I knew our very own Tickledrop was going to be there but, though I haven't met her before, I decided that she wasn't in the line at this point.

Three young fellows who held the first three spots had, reportedly, been there since 9:00 a.m. Probably not necessary but, two had come all the way from Paris ( France, not Tennessee )and the other from Japan.

They can be seen in Sid Smith interview segments at DGM Live. Sid was working the line alternating between video and stills for website reports.

Yours truly is apparently on the cutting room floor somewhere. lol

I find it hard to speak in brilliant terms when a camera is suddenly pointed at me, not that I can speak in brilliant terms otherwise.

It was good to meet the Sid, he was friendly and funny and prepared with lots of prevalent interview questions.

There was quite a number of people who were there to see their first Crimson show ever, some were of the younger set, including our friends from Paris.

It gives me hope about the future of"difficult" music.

I am not exactly what you would consider an old timer in the court of the Crimson King, in fact, this would be my first time seeing Tony Levin with anyone.

Yes, ashamed to admit that, though I am.

My first Crimson experience would be the V.VI warm up shows for TCoL (2000) and TPtB warm ups (2001).

There were quite a few veterans of those shows present and I actually remembered seeing some of them there.

Adrian arrived and parked right in front of the venue in his sporty Chrysler Crossfire, grabbed his guitar and other gear from the trunk, chatted briefly with the crowd in his ever gracious and friendly manner and entered through the front door.

It was not long before T-Lev strolled up the street, waving and smiling.

Soon, they both came back out and wandered around the corner, presumably to Boscos, for whatever pre show "ritual" and relaxation.

Tickledrop arrived and joined me in line. It was great to finally meet her after being friends in this forum (reference to the Adrian Belew at Yahoo list ) for some time now.

What a vibrant, energetic, fun person to share part of this experience with.

The doors opened at about 7:10 p.m., the end of the wilting...thank goodness.

Entry was smooth, organized and swift, wrist band for age check, guest pass posted.

Tickledrop was at the concession counter while I eyed the merch...I turned and she was gone, therefore, we were separated in the first row by about 5 seats.

She, in front of Adrian, myself in front of Stickman and Gavin.

I was dangerously close to the stack, stage left, which delivered thunderous bass and drums but, I didn't mind.

I had a great view of Robert's perch. My rib cage was sufficiently rattled, good for the blood flow.

We were treated to pre-recorded soundscape, frankly, I miss the familiar Ken Latchney mix, I hope Adrian has possession of that.

The unseen announcer ( Biff ? ), reiterated the usual warnings regarding photos, cellcerts, etc. and it was time for The Beast.

A standing ovation greeted the Crim as they took the stage.

1. [drum duo]

Many people, I am certain, were anxious for the return of Tony Levin and were excited to see what the edition of Gavin Harrison would bring to the fold, as was I.

Fortunately, The Crim, was also aware of this and planned much space for Pat & Gavin to show their wares in the form of a single mind playing different parts.

Most "new" music of the weekend was delivered from the drum risers and that is how the show began.

Adrian, during these sections, sat stoic on his fancy stool, trying his best to not draw any attention away from what was going on behind him.

A masterful duo of percussive precision ripped through the frame of our existence,

at times sounding like a drumline field performance but with the Pat and Gavin signature so firmly attached.

Pat, as usual, had the digital duties but was at full steam on the genuine skin and cymbal barrage as well.

Gavin was just as amazing as everyone knew he would be and you would have thought he and Pat had been playing these pieces together for years.

Most bands I have seen with dual drum kits pretty much play the same thing from each kit but, these guys were together in their own worlds, in the same piece but, each taking their own respective strengths to dizzying heights.

and then...

2. ConstruKction Of Light

You would never know that Tony had not been a part of this recording and yet he put his own stamp on it at the same time, but, who would have expected less ?

3. Level Five

I noticed Adrian communicating with someone over my shoulder, without words.

It was Martha who was standing at the ready to deliver Adrian's "rock shoes".

Nope, not the familiar red ones, he must have worn those out. lol

Adrian paused the show for a shoe switch citing, "you can't do a rock show in brown shoes".

4. Neurotica

It was great to hear this one live.

5. Three of a Perfect Pair

I was singing the usual Tony part, although Tony was there but, I noticed the crowd was not.

6. Indiscipline

7. Frame By Frame

8. Dinosaur

9. One Time

Tickledrop was hoping for this one. (One Time)

10. Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream

11. B'boom

12. Elephant Talk

"Pinocchio Fingers", or is that "Viagra Fingers" is back !!!

13. Red

14. [drum duo]

15. Thela Hun Ginjeet

16. The Talking Drum

17. Larks' Tongues In Aspic II

Encore:

18. Sleepless

Another welcomed return.

19. VROOOM/Coda:

Marine 475

Adrian Belew: guitar, vocal

Robert Fripp: guitar

Tony Levin: bass, stick, vocal

Pat Masteletto: drums, percussion, electronic percussion

Gavin Harrison: drums, percussion

The band set out to level the place and delivered.

The addition of Gavin working in concert with Pat, added a fresh coat of paint to the material.

Adrian was his usual animated, smiling stagemaster of ceremonies.

There was a few minor bobbles here and there, expected in warm up shows, that's what makes them special.

In fact, that's what makes Crim, Crim.

Occasionally, Tony didn't show up for a background vocal, he was so into his playing.

Adrian would give him a sideways glance like "where were you?", but, with a knowing grin.

That familiar grin.

Robert, had a few bobbles of his own but nothing major.

He had a permanent grin himself for the entire night.

Another review I read said that the clams prevented the music from ever taking flight, I must adamantly disagree with this assessment, they were in full flight.

I didn't hear anyone after the show that felt differently then I did about that.

Adrian was in his usual, awesome vocal form.

I did notice that he approached the high parts in Frame by Frame a little carefully the first time around but he went for it and, nailed it, when it rolled by the second round.

He played his silver Fly for the weekend with the tangerine/orange Fly at the ready for just in case.

I believe, if I am not mistaken, this was the coming out party for Adrian's new guitars in a Crimson setting.

They passed the audition with *Fly*ing colors.

The fellow to my right was quicker on the trigger and asked Tony for his set list.

I saw that in the bottom right corner it had a message which stated, paraphrased: If you stole this set list at a performance by King Crimson, please go to the lobby and purchase some merchandise. I wonder who's idea that was ? :-)

I got a set list for night two in the green room , which did not have this notice on it, In fact, I think Tony is holding the copy that I have in one of his photos.

But... night two is another story...The crowd had it's share of crossover fans from the Porcupine Tree camp, probably mutual fans, as evidenced by the T-shirt mix.

12th & Porter warm up T-shirts were also represented in the yellow and black versions.

Sid told me that he is jealous of those who attended those shows and that the audio from them is slated, at some point, for official release via download, it's just a matter of too much material and not enough time.

Merch, merch, merch...Lot's of stuff available at the mercantile, on night one I snagged the official tour T featuring art by P.J. Crook and the tour dates listed on the reverse.

I also picked up the "40th Anniversary Tour Box" which is audio only in a DVD case featuring a collection of snippets from over the years, a few gems included.

I realized later that the fellow who sold me my goods is the same fellow who sold me my goods at Porcupine Tree in Asheville, NC last fall.

At the end of both evenings, posters for the show(s) were handed out freely, on nice heavy stock with "SOLD OUT !!!"in bold red.

Being a bit on the hungry side, Tickledrop and meself wandered around the corner to Bosco's after hanging around outside The Belcourt for a bit.

We were seated right next to a group of tables put together for Adrian, Tony and respective families and crew types.

Adrian came over and joined us for some brief chat, that put a nice cap on the evening.

The food was good too.

I had black bean & goat cheese tamales. Yummmm.....

I made my way back to Franklin, noticing that my brakes were making a terrible metal to metal sound, I turned up the stereo, problem solved.

It was a wonderful first evening and I would say that King Crimson is off to a grand start for this new, albeit short, tour.

Fox Attacks, We Respond

2008-08-14T22:46:00.000-04:00

On the Road

2008-08-01T06:54:00.011-04:00

Annie Sellick

Jeff Coffin

I'm heading off to NashVegas for to visitate with my Sister and family.

Tonight we will attend a concert under the stars featuring Jazz artist

Annie Sellick with special guest Jeff Coffin of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones.

I am very much looking forward to both the visiting

and the music.

Then on Saturday evening...

And Sunday...

Robert Fripp

Adrian Belew

Pat Mastelotto ( by Mark Colman )

Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree

Sirens In The City

2008-07-28T15:03:00.003-04:00

My interpretation of David Baerwald's "Sirens In The City".
It's a rather dark and brooding look at the state of things.
It's only my second attempt at throwing a video together and I
hope it is a slight improvement over the last.

Hope you enjoy and discover the music of David Baerwald.

My First Movie

2008-07-27T10:10:00.002-04:00

Long in the making, my first attempt at animation.

While the subject matter may be of questionable interest to many, I created this using my own photos with Photoshop 7 and Windows Movie Maker.

The soundtrack is performed entirely on my Fender Strat with a Roland GR-30 guitar Synth. The child's voice in the piece was borrowed, as noted in the credits and, reversed to add an aire of mystery.

The work involved, for such a short outcome, makes one appreciate the work of animators.

I hope you like it.

Farewell Tour

2008-07-06T09:29:00.000-04:00

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

July 4th, 2008 - The Virginia Creeper Trail

2008-07-05T13:09:00.029-04:00

Please click on photos and then click on "all sizes" to see the full size panoramic wonder. Thanks !

I got a call this week from my friend Tim, he and his brother have been my lifelong pals as we grew up across the street from each other, Tim wanted to know if I was interested in riding the Virginia Creeper Trail on the Fourth of July, or at least a section of it.

I had to give this some thought considering my bike has basically been in mothballs for a while and I have not been getting the exercise that I should of late.
Okay, I decided to make myself get in gear, pardon the pun, and get ready to see the trail again, it's been a while and The Creeper is an old friend.
Plus, I don't see Tim very often these days, life gets busy. He and Sheila are
pretty busy with Grandkids and such.

The Virginia Creeper Trail is a beautiful old railway bed, converted into a hiking, biking and horse backing trail. The grade is mostly around 3% with the exception of the last 3.5 miles or so up to White Top Station, which clocks in at about 7%. ( see maps at Virginia Creeper site, click title of this post ) the trail is 35 miles total.
Damascus Virginia being approximately in the middle, either direction away from Damascus would be an uphill run, so, it's like a mild "V" from both ends to the center.
There are several ways to approach a run on the trail and lots of folks prefer to start at either Abingdon, VA or White Top Station making it a downhill endeavor from start to finish.

This has created a boom for the shuttle business in Damascus, people leave their cars and buy a ride to either end and eventually arrive back at their vehicle again.
The trail winds through beautiful mountain settings, farm land and small communities. There are over 100 trestles along the way, most with gorgeous views of rivers or lake.

There are some gates here and there, through some of the farmland, where you have to open and close them for to keep the cattle stock and such where it belongs.

The Appalachian Trail crosses the Creeper Trail. Damascus hosts Appalachian Trail Days once a year which brings hikers from all over into the community for a fine festival.

I have done the entire trail several times but, when I go alone, I generally start in Damascus and go to White Top and back or, Abingdon and back. Both directions have their own rewards.
I need to get some more riding in before I attempt the uphills again.

My friend Tim had a cardiac event about six to eight weeks back so, I was worried whether he should be attempting this ride at all but, I was somewhat relieved that they had chosen to make the White Top Station to Damascus run, about 17.2 miles, downhill.

They were going to be camping for the weekend at Backbone Rock so, we decided to meet
at the caboose in Damascus.

( photo courtesy of VACreeperTrail.com, not panoramic. )

I got my trusty Diamondback out of the garage on Thursday and, not being very "mechanical" myself, I took it to Boyd's Bicycle for a check up. There are many bicycle shops in the area these days but ,Boyd's has been in business since I was a little whipper snapper and, I am still a loyal customer. They know what they are doing.
So, with two new tubes, whether I needed them or not, I had a good bill of health for my
"old school" steed. ( my bike has no suspension system ) I secured a new helmet and I was ready. I packed some essentials, a spare inner tube, a rain jacket, etc.

I was feeling rough when I awoke at 6:00 a.m. on Friday but that is par for the course these days. I had three cups of java to get myself moving and followed that up with a "sports" beverage on the way to Damascus. It supposedly had some vitamin B in there with all that high fructose corn syrup.
Note to self: less liquid before a trail ride next time, huh ?

I arrived at the designated caboose about 5 till 10, 10 being the designated meet up time, I wasn't sure what Tim & his wife Sheila would be driving as they have a penchant for trading vehicles . They were there but, I didn't see them and, they didn't see me.
I made my first "pit" stop. ( see note to self above )
They saw me finally and it was time to get the show on the road, right after "pit" stop number two. ( see note to self above )

We had missed the latest shuttle to White Top so we decided to take Tim's vehicle up and ride back to mine.
It was a bit difficult to get the three bikes on his rack as Sheila's bike had a baby seat mounted on the back, which I suggested they take off, but we managed to get them all on as is and away we went.

Now it is a good distance to White Top Station and, as you can guess, I needed a third "pit" stop before we got there. Tim pulled over and dropped me at a field of rather thick brush and trees.
I was too "ready" to protest the locale and, it was during my relief stage, that I noticed I was surrounded by the dreaded three leafed monster, poison ivy. Now I have never in my life been affected by P.I. until just a couple of years ago at which time, I got a bad case of it, required a shot, it did.

We proceeded on to White Top. We arrived just behind, not one, but two shuttles which were loaded down with people and bicycles. The bad thing about such a beautiful trail is that, eventually ,it gets discovered by more and more people. I could not believe the vast numbers of folk who had the same idea we did for the 4th of July. jeeeshhh...
We tried to lay back a bit and let these people move on but, we found ourselves catching them again rather quickly and, passing them.

We are well familiar with trail courtesy but, unfortunately with this many people riding, you run into your share of folks who haven't a clue. Always pass on the left and announce yourself when passing folks. I have a thumbell on my bike for just such occasions. You can sneak up people and really give them a start if you are not courteous.

The trip down the 7% grade was going rather briskly, almost too briskly to enjoy the scenery, until, it was realized that Sheila's back tire was low. We pulled off at a nice spot by the river and put some air in it with my trusty pump but, alas, it was losing air at a rapid rate.
We stopped again to discuss our options. I had a spare tube and a tire tool but, it required a wrench to remove that baby seat and that, I didn't have.
After a short time of despair, a gentleman happened by who was better prepared then I was, he had a wrench.
Note to self: pack a wrench

We dismantled the baby seat contraption and managed to install a new inner tube on Sheila's bike. Neither Tim, nor myself, are all that mechanically inclined so, it was a miracle that we figured it all out. We thanked our wrench bearer profusely and off we went.

We breezed through Green Cove Station which appears in a famous photo by O. Winston Link who captured the last days of the steam driven drains with his camera.

"Maude Bows to the Virginia Creeper" - O. Winston Link 1957 - all rights reserved

and as it appears today:

Obviously, the Virginia Creeper was a train before it became a trail. That last 3.5 miles had to be a lot of work for that ol' steam engine. The Creeper now rests at the trail head, captured and caged.

We rode into Taylor's Valley which was to be our designated lunch stop. Taylor's Valley is a tiny community which features The Creeper Trail Cafe & Pickin' Porch, a lovely little place which caters to folk from the trail.
This day the place was packed and many bikes lined the lot out back. We had to wait in line but it was a welcomed break after out tire incident. The food was good and nourished the soul and body.

Courtesy of CreeperTrailCafe.com ( not panoramic )

Pop up rain showers had been predicted throughout the day and, as we sat indoors to dine, the sky opened up. Amazingly, it closed again once we were ready to ride.
The ground remained dry enough as to avoid the famous "racing stripe" on the back of our clothes.

The remainder of the ride was without incident and seemed shorter then I remember it.
Tim did fine, no nitro pills were needed. It was a great, fun ride and my soreness is minimal.

As we got into the heart of Damascus, Sheila decided to ride on another six miles to their camp site as Tim and I would drive back up to White Top Station and fetch his vehicle.

When we returned to their campsite ourselves, the sky opened once more. We canceled our cookout plans and I headed back home to apply a 30 minute, cold water rinse to the areas that may be affected by the dreaded poison ivy. So far, so good but, it may be too soon to tell...

I hope you haven't found my tale to be too much a bore. :-)

The panoramic photos were actually taken on a previous ride, I have a much cooler looking new helmet to sport about in...
The panoramic photos are small in the blog, if you click on them and then select "all sizes", you will see them
in their true panoramic glory.

Happy Trails...

Update: Monday, July 7th, still no signs of poison ivy... whew!

Hey Stranger...

2008-07-04T00:39:00.002-04:00

This is a hauntingly important song and now, thanks to another David Baerwald fan, Marcia Leer, it has a video to go with. I don't know Marcia but, she has done a wonderful job with the imagery for "Stranger". I'm glad the song has a vehicle for You Tube so that it may be heard by more people who perhaps missed it.

Jeff Black - All New Songs

2008-07-02T18:49:00.000-04:00

On The Beat with David Menconi

2008-06-28T12:25:00.002-04:00

Good music journalism is lacking in my area. Drop by and visit David Menconi's "On The Beat" for some good writing on music that matters.

On The Beat

Countdown- Redux

2008-06-14T13:52:00.003-04:00

Countdown Redux: Richard Clarke On Bush Administration - “We Can’t Let These People Back Into Polite Society”
Posted: 09 Jun 2008 08:45 AM CDT

C&L covered this segment from last Friday’s Countdown, but I thought an emphasis on Richard Clarke’s scathing remarks about the lack of, and the need for, accountability from the Bush administration for the countless lies they told their country and the world about pre-Iraq invasion intelligence, was well deserved.
I have been telling anyone who will listen, that we must watch out for these bad pennies when their names start to creep back into the political arena - names like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, who both worked in the Nixon administration. Looking back, we find ourselves wondering how we didn’t see this disaster coming, or why more people didn’t speak out at the time. I fully agree with Richard Clarke’s statements; we must not allow these thugs back into civilized society — they should not be rewarded for perpetrating so many horrific and destructive crimes against their own people, and other places around the globe.
Clarke: “Well, there may be some other kind of remedy. There may be some sort of truth and reconciliation commission process that’s been tried in other countries, South Africa, Salvador and what not, where if you come forward and admit that you were in error or admit that you lied, admit that you did something, then you’re forgiven. Otherwise, you are censured in some way.”
“Now, I just don’t think we can let these people back into polite society and give them jobs on university boards and corporate boards and just let them pretend that nothing ever happened when there are 4,000 Americans dead and 25,000 Americans grievously wounded, and they’ll carry those wounds and suffer all the rest of their lives.”
You can rest assured, the day that names like Karl Rove, Tom Delay, Condoleeza Rice or those of anyone who served in the Bush administration creep into the public or political sphere, we, and the rest of the blogosphere, will sound the alarm to make sure none of these people are able to damage our country ever again. More from Think Progress.

Countdown - June 10th

2008-06-14T12:58:00.009-04:00

Countdown: The Impeachment Of George W. Bush
Posted: 10 Jun 2008 09:15 PM CDT

Download Play Download Play
Ohio Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich spent some 290 minutes on the House floor Monday, reading Articles of Impeachment against President George Bush. Not that you would notice, as there was a virtual media blackout on the story, but Keith Olbermann ran with it right out of the gate on Tuesday’s Countdown.
Constitutional Law Professor Jonathan Turley joined Keith to commend Kucinich and his impeachment bill, which is now co-sponsored by Rep. Robert Wexler. While Turley says there are numerous crimes for which Bush could easily be impeached, the President’s greatest ally has been the Democratic Congress who have skirted their constitutional duties and consistently given him a pass rather than practice any oversight. It’s clear impeachment will remain off the table for the remainder of Bush’s term, but as Keith put it, problems like this will never be solved if people like Kucinich and Wexler don’t stand up and say something.
Olbermann: “I’ve often argued here, that even if you don’t think the words aren’t lead to any actions, say the words anyway, simply to get them on the record for history and simply because, nothing has ever changed from bad to good in this country without somebody first saying, this is bad. Assess the importance of what Dennis Kucinich did last night.”
Turley: “You know, it is very important. The fact is, that this is not supposed to happen the way it’s happened in the last seven years. The framers, I think, would have been astonished by the absolute passivity, if not the collusion of the Democrats in protecting President Bush from impeachment. I mean, they created a system that was essentially idiot-proof, and God knows we’ve put that to the test in the past few years, but I don’t think they anticipated that so many members of the opposition would stand quietly in the face of clear presidential crimes.”

Senate Report - Phase II

2008-06-14T12:18:00.008-04:00

Jon Stewart Slams Media for Blacking Out Iraq War Lies Report
Posted: 10 Jun 2008 08:46 AM CDT
The Daily Show reports on the media’s failure to report on the Senate report that proves the Bush administration knowingly lied to us about the reasons for war. Surely the “Big Three” have more important things to cover.

Download Play Download Play (h/t Heather)
Stewart: “Let’s go back to the Big Three, that’s where real Americans get their news. Charlie Gibson, cover it!”
Gibson: “Something that doesnt happen every day, and certainly doesn’t happen twice..a well-know French daredevil named ‘Spiderman’…”
Stewart: “Yes, he was climbing the New York Times building. Perhaps looking to read the story about the administration leading us into a war that you didnt cover at all! At all!
For a “fake news” anchor, Jon Stewart sure does a better job reporting actual news than the entire mainstream media combined. I’m sure Stewart wouldn’t take offense when I say that that’s pretty sad.

Ovation Legend

2008-06-01T21:56:00.002-04:00

drop.io: simple private sharing

The Inside Of My Head

2008-05-30T22:07:00.001-04:00

drop.io: simple private sharing

They're Tearing It Down...

2008-04-29T22:02:00.003-04:00

A personal side trip, if I may...

On June 16th, 2008 they will begin demolition of Fairmount Elementary School here in Bristol, TN. The school will be replaced by a much larger, more modern building which will swallow the contents of two older schools in the city.

A little history:

Fairmount Elementary School is located on a beautiful tree-studded campus on Cypress Street. This location once served as a campground for Native Americans traveling to the salt wells in what is now known as Saltville, Virginia. Later, this land provided camping for covered wagons that brought produce to the area from Shady Valley and Johnson City, Tennessee. As the community began to develop after the Civil War, in what was called the dense Fairmount Forest Park, the site of the present-day campus, a grand resort was planned. The elaborate Victorian Hotel Fairmount was constructed, and Fairmount Lake was developed for recreation. An elite residential section was planned around the famous hotel's grounds. By the turn of the century, the grand hotel had been destroyed by fire. Once again, the forest served as a short-term encampment site for the U. S. Army during World War I.

The original Fairmount School began serving this still elite and growing community in 1905. The first building was located on Kentucky Avenue, one block west of the present location. In 1925-1926, the present building was constructed on 8.83 acres, serving grades one through eight. In 1939, the gates were added at the front of the school with the sign honoring the name of the school and motto, "Character Above Intellect," adorning it. The original sign was replaced in 1991 with a colorful sandblasted design. The motto remains as a guiding principle of the school community. Three additions have been made to the building consisting of four classrooms in 1950, two classrooms and new gymnasium in 1960, and two classrooms in 1966. The entire "old" section of the school was renovated in 1972. The present building encompasses 62,984 square feet.

It is with mixed emotions that I consider the replacement of this grand old marker of many memories from my neighborhood of birth. On one hand, it has been far too long since Bristol proper has been bestowed with any new schools. On the other, this is where I attended elementary school, as did my siblings. My favorite uncle was once a teacher in the hallowed halls of Fairmount.

It is situated on a beautiful, wooded lot with many trees that share the aged wisdom of time gone by.

I have been trying to review my memories from those days but, alas, it was such a long time ago now. I have to admit that many of memories of my school days are blocked because, in many ways, my school days were not of a pleasant experience. I'll just leave it at that.

I was in this building when the word arrived to the world that John F. Kennedy had died from his wounds. We were sent home that day.

It was here that I discovered my dog "Pepper" and coaxed her to follow me home to become a member of our family for 16 years.

It was here that my neighbor, who had a somewhat wild reputation in those days, presented me with what turned out to be a "booby trap" in the bathroom one day. A booby trap was basically a firecracker that has a string coming out of both ends, when you pull them, BOOM ! I was very young and did not know that, so... well you can probably guess ahead from here. I wound up in after school detention for the first time in my life.

It was here, in the auditorium, that for no apparent reason that I can recall, the guy sitting next to me, who shall remain nameless, suddenly stabbed me in the leg twice with a pencil. To this very day I can show you the lead as it still remains.

It was here, in my final year, that they decided to no longer have graduation ceremonies which, they resumed in the next year that followed.

I remember the vaccinations doled out in sugar cube format.

I remember Mr. Wizard who would present his cool science show in the gym.

All these memories came back to me as I walked around the old school, inside and out, after a pre-bid conference the other day. Our company hopes to earn the right to supply equipment for the new cafeteria.

I learned at the meeting that they will preserve some of the trees in the front, which is wonderful news. They also intend to recycle the trees that must be taken, the plans are to salvage the wood and make "things" out of it, furniture or, who knows.

The P.T.A. will be selling bricks, I might just have to get in on that action.

Here's to Fairmount, a grand old building. They don't make them like that anymore.

Carnival Candy

2008-04-20T22:05:00.001-04:00

More Digital Art Fun

KING CRIMSON TOUR DATES

2008-04-13T15:57:00.004-04:00

Warm Up Dates In Nashville

( Saturday Is Sold Out !!! )

Arghhhhhhhh......

This version of The Crim not only features the

RETURN of TONY LEVIN

but also...

PAT MASTELOTTO & GAVIN HARRISON of

Porcupine Tree !!!

( Two of the finest drummers on the planet )

Date
Location
Venue/Ticketing
Download Audio
King Crimson - Aug. 06, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
Park West
N/A
King Crimson - Aug. 07, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
Park West
N/A
King Crimson - Aug. 08, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
Park West
N/A
King Crimson - Aug. 11, 2008
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Keswick Theatre
N/A
King Crimson - Aug. 12, 2008
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Keswick Theatre
N/A
King Crimson - Aug. 14, 2008
New York, New York
Nokia Theatre
N/A
King Crimson - Aug. 15, 2008
New York, New York
Nokia Theatre
N/A
King Crimson - Aug. 16, 2008
New York, New York
Nokia Theatre

Adrian Belew Power Trio On Tour 2008

2008-04-13T15:46:00.003-04:00

Adrian, Julie, and Eric are currently on tour!

Don't miss the 2008 Adrian Belew Power Trio Tour.

05/28/08
Mercy Lounge
Nashville, TN NEW!
05/29/08
Smith's Olde Bar
Atlanta, GA NEW!
05/30/08
Skippers Smokehouse
Tampa, FL NEW!
05/31/08
Bamboo Room
Lake Worth, FL NEW!
06/05/08
Cat's Cradle
Carrboro, NC NEW!
06/06/08
Rams Head Tavern
Annapolis, MD
06/07/08
Mexicali Blues
Teaneck, NJ NEW!
06/08/08
Revolution Hall
Troy, NJ NEW!

Watch for more new dates at:

Adrian Belew Dot Net

BUSH In '96

2008-04-13T15:37:00.002-04:00

No, not *THAT* Bush...

Dancin' Dave has posted a fine story on his blog that will explain:

BUSH '96

Despite the scary coinciDANCE in monikers, we've been trying to
get good rhythm in The White House for a while now.

2008-04-12T19:34:00.002-04:00

Earth Hour

2008-03-29T12:29:00.001-04:00

Earth Hour, is so simple to participate in, yet is powerful beyond imagination.

You won't even believe the impact you'll make.
How? By turning off all lights for just one hour tonight,
Saturday, March 29, starting at 8PM (your local time).

That's right, for just one hour.
This event was created by the World Wildlife Fund in
Sydney, Australia in 2007... and the impact it created
was so huge that it's blossomed to a global event within only a year.

Last year, it reduced Sydney's energy consumption by a whopping 10.2% for one hour,
which is the equivalent of taking 48,000 cars off the road for a year!

Well, they're doing the same thing tomorrow night,
but this time it's global and with many more millions
of people around the world involved.

Imagine the impact!

Please join me in bringing harmony to the earth tonight.

Go ahead, turn out those lights!

Go to this site for more info.
What do you have to lose?

http://www7.earthhourus.org/

From the "Lest We Forget" Department:

2008-03-14T22:29:00.003-04:00

The war in Iraq has gone on for nearly five years. The unbearable costs at home and abroad keep mounting. It's clear that Americans are ready for a real change in direction.

On March 19th, tens of thousands of people across the country will gather to observe the fifth anniversary of the war with candlelight vigils.

We'll commemorate the sacrifices too many families have made, and the billions of dollars wasted in Iraq that could have been better invested at home..Join us at a candlelight vigil on Wednesday, March 19th. Honor the sacrifice. Change our priorities. Bring the troops home.

Click here to organize your own vigil, or sign up for one near you.

brought to you by: The Department of Peace

Griff copy

2008-03-08T23:43:00.001-05:00

Griff copy
Originally uploaded by block_dog

This one is a combination of two photos, one is a detail of a fireplace mantel at Whitehall Inn, Dillard, GA and the second layer is a photograph of a painting that I am not sure that I am done with.

Fallin' For It

2008-02-23T15:08:00.003-05:00

DAVID WILCOX - FALLING FOR IT

from the album "Airstream"

Look at all the people in their living rooms

With their eyes all glued to the evening news

Catch ‘em at a moment when they’re all afraid

And then sell them well on the plans you’ve made

All the citizens who listen and believe

Falling just the same

Falling into line cause we did not know

Of the bait and switch and the shadow show

When you faked the truth, to make your claims

You played our fears, for your own gain

Then we needed a leader and you’re all we had

So we told ourselves you were not that bad

You took the opportunity to have your way

While our wounds still bled we were led astray

All the the fears that came descending on us then

Falling just the same

Falling like the towers in a cloud that hung

So it blocked our view and it hid the sun

When our eyes were down, in all that pain

With your slight of hand, you cast the blame

You said that it was over when it had just begun

Saying: “Job well done,” as if the war was won

But all of us are watching as the numbers climb

Of the killed and injured, dead and dying

All the soldiers that have fallen in this war

Falling just the same

Falling for the trick that you played on us

When you made those lies and betrayed our trust

As if this war, was just your game

You’re breaking down - our country’s name

-David Wilcox ( From: Airstream)

Airstream

2008-02-19T18:04:00.007-05:00

free mp3"Falling For It"
David Wilcox has a new album plus a new 2 disc DVD ready to go.
Airstream was titled after David, Nance and Nathan sold their home in Maryland
and spent a year and a half touring the country in a bio-fueled Airstream trailer, playing
gigs along the way. I was lucky enough to catch a double bill with David & Darrell Scott
sharing the stage in Blacksburg, VA.

Anyway, the album and DVD aren't officially released as of this writing but, you can order
your copy right now and they are shipping right now. Click on the cover of either item above
to visit What Are Records and place your order.

You can hear the entire new album streamed at David's official site.

The DVD, "Live At The Workplay Theatre, contains an entire concert on disc one with
lots of extra goodies on disc two which you can read about at the official site.
There is also a couple of free MP3 downloads available.

I have heard a few of these new songs several times and I already know I'm going to like it.
If you're a fan, I think you will, too. If you're not, I think you will be

I also caught David's Thankgiving Homecoming show in Asheville, NC, which used to be
an annual event. I hope it will be again.
At this show they announced the end of their travels and the decision to settle, once again, in Asheville. This works out good for Moi if he resumes the heavy home court schedule that
he used to keep.

That show was memorable in that he broke out a lot of older tunes for the home crowd such as Bob Franke's "For Real", one of my favorites.

Pick up on it and tell 'em Block Dog sent ya, after all, that's where I stole the moniker.

Spell of Magic...

2008-02-18T01:42:00.002-05:00

Words by David Wilcox ( The American one ), Art by Blockdog

Click on image for larger version

Hurt

2008-02-16T22:03:00.001-05:00

The Fear Card...

2008-02-15T07:00:00.005-05:00

Countdown Special Comment on FISA: President Bush Is A Liar And A Fascist

Posted: 14 Feb 2008 08:45 PM CST

Keith Olbermann’s Special Comment on today’s Countdown was a scathing rebuke of President Bush for continuing to play the fear card, trying to scare the hell out of the American people and vowing to veto any FISA legislation that does not contain telecom amnesty.

You are a liar, Mr. Bush, and after showing some skill at it, you have ceased to even be a very good liar.

And your minions like John Boehner — your Republican congressional crash dummies who just happen to decide to walk out of Congress when a podium-full of microphones await them — they should just keep walking, out of Congress and if possible, out of the country.

For they — and you, sir — have no place in a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

The lot of you, are the symbolic descendants of the despotic middle managers of some banana republic, to whom “Freedom” is an ironic brand name, a word you reach for, when you want to get away with its opposite.

Thus, Mr. Bush, your panoramic invasion of privacy is dressed up as “protecting America.”

Full transcripts below the fold:

Democrats in the House of Representatives are closing the shop down tonight, until a week from Monday… leaving President Bush twisting slowly in a wind of his own creation.

Our third story on the Countdown: the FISA bill — and the retroactive immunity for the telecom giants that helped Mr. Bush illegally eavesdrop on Americans — will thus just sit there, unacted upon, not even a temporary extension which the Republicans and Mr. Bush refused, despite the President’s threats that if the bill isn’t passed by Saturday, there’d be a breakdown in counter-terrorism surveillance and plagues of locusts and stuff.

A Special Comment, in a moment.

First the details.

House Democrats, in essence, calling the Republicans’ bluff.

They staged a walkout at mid-day… led by John Boehner, who in one act managed the cheesy political theater, and managed to get out just as Representatives were to vote on Contempt of Congress citations against Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten.

That the Republicans just happened to walk to a stand-full of microphones… pure coincidence.

The President had started all this, with his now-daily message of fear, with what he apparently sees as a threat, to postpone his scheduled trip to Africa.

The House should not leave Washington without passing the Senate bill. I am scheduled to leave tomorrow for a long-planned trip to five African nations. Moments ago, my staff informed the House leadership that I’m prepared to delay my departure, and stay in Washington with them, if it will help them complete their work on this critical bill. The lives of countless Americans depend on our ability to monitor terrorist communications.

Having lost, he now says he’s going to Africa — another threat, or promise, unfulfilled.

Now, as promised, a Special Comment.

A part of what I will say, was said here on January 31st.

Unfortunately it is both sadder and truer now, than it was, then.

“Who’s to blame?” Mr. Bush also said this afternoon, “Look, these folks in Congress passed a good bill late last summer… The problem is, they let the bill expire. My attitude is: if the bill was good enough then, why not pass the bill again?”

You know, like The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.

Or Executive Order 90-66.

Or The Alien and Sedition Acts.

Or Slavery.

Mr. Bush, you say that our ability to track terrorist threats will be weakened and our citizens will be in greater danger.

Yet you have weakened that ability!

You have subjected us, your citizens, to that greater danger!

This, Mr. Bush, is simple enough even for you to understand.

For the moment, at least, thanks to some true patriots in the House, and your own stubbornness, you have tabled telecom immunity, and the FISA act.

You.

By your own terms and your definitions — you have just sided with the terrorists.

You got to have this law or we’re all going to die.

But practically speaking, you vetoed this law.

It is bad enough, sir, that you were demanding an Ex Post Facto law, which could still clear the AT&Ts and the Verizons from responsibility for their systematic, aggressive, and blatant collaboration with your illegal and unjustified spying on Americans under this flimsy guise of looking for any terrorists who are stupid enough to make a collect call or send a mass e-mail.

But when you demanded it again during the State of the Union address, you wouldn’t even confirm that they actually did anything for which they deserved to be cleared.

“The Congress must pass liability protection for companies believed to have assisted in the efforts to defend America.” Believed?

Don’t you know?

Don’t you even have the guts Dick Cheney showed in admitting they did collaborate with you?

Does this endless presidency of loopholes and fine print extend even here?

If you believe in the seamless mutuality of government and big business — come out and say it!

There is a dictionary definition, one word that describes that toxic blend.

You’re a fascist — get them to print you a t-shirt with “fascist” on it!

What else is this but fascism?

Did you see Mark Klein on this newscast last November?

Mark Klein was the AT&T Whistleblower, the one who explained in the placid, dull terms of your local neighborhood I-T desk, how he personally attached all AT&T circuits — everything — carrying every one of your phone calls, every one of your e-mails, every bit of your web browsing into a secure room, room number 641-A at the Folsom Street facility in San Francisco, where it was all copied so the government could look at it.

Not some of it, not just the international part of it, certainly not just the stuff some spy — a spy both patriotic and telepathic — might able to divine had been sent or spoken by — or to — a terrorist.

Everything!

Every time you looked at a naked picture.

Every time you bid on eBay.

Every time you phoned in a donation to a Democrat.

“My thought was,” Mr. Klein told us last November, “George Orwell’s 1984. And here I am, forced to connect the big brother machine.”

And if there’s one thing we know about Big Brother, Mr. Bush, is that he is — you are — a liar.

“This Saturday at midnight,” you said today, “legislation authorizing intelligence professionals to quickly and effectively monitor terrorist communications will expire. If Congress does not act by that time, our ability to find out who the terrorists are talking to, what they are saying, and what they are planning, will be compromised…You said that “the lives of countless Americans depend” on you getting your way.

This is crap.

And you sling it, with an audacity and a speed unrivaled even by the greatest political felons of our history.

Richard Clarke — you might remember him, sir, he was one of the counter-terror pro’s you inherited from President Clinton, before you ran the professionals out of government in favor of your unreality-based reality — Richard Clarke wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

“Let me be clear: Our ability to track and monitor terrorists overseas would not cease should the Protect America Act expire. If this were true, the president would not threaten to terminate any temporary extension with his veto pen. All surveillance currently occurring would continue even after legislative provisions lapsed because authorizations issued under the act are in effect up to a full year.”

You are a liar, Mr. Bush, and after showing some skill at it, you have ceased to even be a very good liar.

And your minions like John Boehner — your Republican congressional crash dummies who just happen to decide to walk out of Congress when a podium-full of microphones await them — they should just keep walking, out of Congress and if possible, out of the country.

For they — and you, sir — have no place in a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

The lot of you, are the symbolic descendants of the despotic middle managers of some banana republic, to whom “Freedom” is an ironic brand name, a word you reach for, when you want to get away with its opposite.

Thus, Mr. Bush, your panoramic invasion of privacy is dressed up as “protecting America.”

Thus, Mr. Bush, your indiscriminate domestic spying becomes the focused monitoring, only of “terrorist communications.”

Thus, Mr. Bush, what you and the telecom giants have done, isn’t unlawful, it’s just the kind of perfectly legal, passionately patriotic thing for which you happen to need immunity!

Richard Clarke is on the money, as usual.

That the President was willing to veto this eavesdropping, means there is no threat to the legitimate counter-terror efforts underway.

As Senator Kennedy reminded us in December:

“The President has said that American lives will be sacrificed if Congress does not change FISA. But he has also said that he will veto any FISA bill that does not grant retroactive immunity.

No immunity, no FISA bill. So if we take the President at his word, he’s willing to let Americans die to protect the phone companies.”

And that literally cannot be.

Even Mr. Bush could not overtly take a step that actually aids the terrorists.

I am not talking about ethics here.

I am talking about blame.

If the President seems to be throwing the baby out with the bathwater, it means we can safely conclude… there is no baby.

Because if there were, sir, now that you have vetoed an extension of this eavesdropping, if some terrorist attack were to follow…

You would not merely be guilty of siding with the terrorists…

You would not merely be guilty of prioritizing the telecoms over the people…

You would not merely be guilty of stupidity…

You would not merely be guilty of treason, sir…

You would be personally, and eternally, responsible.

And if there is one thing we know about you, Mr. Bush, one thing that you have proved time and time again… it is that you are never responsible.

As recently ago as 2006, we spoke words like these with trepidation.

The idea that even the most cynical and untrustworthy of politicians in our history — George W. Bush — would use the literal form of terrorism against his own people — was dangerous territory. It seemed to tempt fate, to heighten fear.

We will not fear any longer.

We will not fear the international terrorists — we will thwart them.

We will not fear the recognition of the manipulation of our yearning for safety — we will call it what it is: terrorism.

We will not fear identifying the vulgar hypocrites in our government — we will name them.

And we will not fear George W. Bush.

Nor will we fear because George W. Bush wants us to fear.

Apples and Landscapes

2008-02-13T22:59:00.003-05:00

photo by block dog (Robert Belew)

more here...

Tribute to the TRUE HEROES...

2008-01-30T00:29:00.000-05:00

I'm not generally a fan of the mosh pit scene, no offense to those of you who might be, but, I was attracked to The Dropkick Murphys by their infusion of traditional Irish elements and their staunch stance toward being a voice and supporter for the true heroes of this world, the working man, sometimes considered the bottom rung on the ladder by the powers that be and the ones who made their fortune on the backs of these very same folk.

So, here is one of my favorite D.K.M. songs for the working man. Speaking of Lives In The Balance, these are the first people to step up because of their firm belief in family & country.

Worker's Song (Handful of Earth)written by Ed Pickford

This one's for the workers who toil night and day
By hand and by brain,
to earn your pay
For centuries long past
for no more than your bread
Have bled for your countries and counted your dead
In the factories and mills, in the shipyards and mines
We've often been told to keep up with the times
For our skills are not needed, they've streamlined the job
And with slide rule and stopwatch, our pride they have robbed

(chorus)We're the first ones to starve,
we're the first ones to die
The first ones in line for that pie in the sky
And we're always the last when the cream is shared out
For the worker is working when the fat cat's about

And when the sky darkens and the prospect is war
Who's given the gun and then pushed to the fore
And expected to die for the land of our birth
Though we've never owned one lousy handful of earth
And all of these things the worker has done
From tilling the fields to carrying the gun
We've been yoked to the plow
since time first began
And always expected to carry the can.

Lives In The Balance...

2008-01-21T04:32:00.000-05:00

LIVES IN THE BALANCE

( See Playlist Above, Track One )

I've been waiting for something to happen

For a week or a month or a year

With the blood in the ink of the headlines

And the sound of the crowd in my ear

You might ask what it takes to remember

When you know that you've seen it before

Where a government lies to a people

And a country is drifting to war

And there's a shadow on the faces

Of the men who send the guns

To the wars that are fought in places

Where their business interest runs

On the radio talk shows and the T.V.

You hear one thing again and again

How the U.S.A. stands for freedom

And we come to the aid of a friend

But who are the ones that we call our friends--

These governments killing their own?

Or the people who finally can't take any more

And they pick up a gun or a brick or a stone

There are lives in the balance

There are people under fire

There are children at the cannons

And there is blood on the wire

There's a shadow on the faces

Of the men who fan the flames

Of the wars that are fought in places

Where we can't even say the names

They sell us the President

the same way

They sell us our clothes and our cars

They sell us every thing from youth to religion

The same time they sell us our wars

I want to know who the men in the shadows are

I want to hear somebody asking them why

They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are

But they're never the ones to fight or to die

And there are lives in the balance

There are people under fire

There are children at the cannons

And there is blood on the wire

Jackson Browne

Please support the artist by purchasing their work.

FIGHT FOR THE DREAM

2008-01-21T03:37:00.000-05:00

Declare War on Greed

Sign the petition

Recession & The Federal Banking System

2008-01-18T07:04:00.000-05:00

Bear with me here :

Part One

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Comments ? Corrections ?
Recession on the way ?

ADRIAN BELEW: Hall of Fame ?

2008-01-13T21:41:00.000-05:00

Please sign the petition
Adrian, as a solo artist, may not be a platinum seller but, there is no denying his
innovative efforts in progressing rock music into new directions.

With his list of achievements with other bands and artists you will always
find him listed multiple times when Rolling Stone rolls out their list of top
100 albums.

As a five time winner of best experimental guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine, Adrian
was inducted into their Hall of Fame.
It's time he was considered for the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame.

We need signatures and lots of them. Please sign The Petition and pass the link
to your friends who may feel the same way.

Thank you !

WHEN GOOD STUFF HAPPENS...

2008-01-13T15:54:00.000-05:00

Beware the Jabberwock...

2008-01-06T22:55:00.000-05:00

Michael Hedges

2007-12-29T22:26:00.000-05:00

I will be scanning some photos from a Michael Hedges show that I took at the defunct "Be Here Now" in Asheville, NC. The show was in 1995 and Michael Manring was present as well.

Airstream

2007-12-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Adrian Belew !

2007-12-24T12:55:00.000-05:00

Photo by Mark Colman

Well, being slow to post these days, a very Happy Belated Birthday to Adrian Belew who celebrated the big 50+8 as of yesterday, December 23rd.

In honor of the occasion my friends at Prog'Opolis did a special "Birthday" broadcast featuring Adrian music from a variety of involvement, several of which are from the new Side Four (live). You can stream the program and/or download the Podcast at The Dividing Line. The site also features the playlist from said program.

Another "Adrian" special ran today and I am sorry not to get the word out it time. Jonny Mambo over in North Carolina did a "Birthday" show featuring Adrian this a.m., I do not know if the show will be archived for future streaming or Podcasting.

"If you don't know about Adrian's music, tune in to WCOM, 103.5, FM, this Monday from 9-12:00 A.M. (or stream if you live outside of theCarrboro/Chapel Hill Kingdom) and get the "try it you'll like it treatment-or-double your money back guarantee"-per Mojo Ballroom Policy(please read extra fine print about guarantee with strong magnifying glass placed on top of powerful microscope-Latin dictionary may also come in handy).Stream for the program can be found here http://communityradio.coop/ "

Give both of these shows a try sometime anyway.

Happy Birthday Adrian !

Happy Birthday Frank Zappa ! ( December 21st )

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and or whatever it is you might celebrate in your world.

Adrian Belew - Side Four (Live) HAS LANDED!!!

2007-12-04T21:31:00.000-05:00

Side Four (live)

(Cover Painting by Adrian Belew )

I received this tasty slice of time in the ol' postal receptacle yesterday.

Recorded live at Canal Street Tavern in Dayton, Ohio on

February 16th, 2007

If you have seen The Power Trio, or better yet, if you haven't,

you are going to be enthralled with this sonically thrilling roller coaster

ride that is anything but coasting.

As Adrian proclaims in the brief liner notes, "this is the raw unadorned account of

most of what happened next."

I actually like the fact that it's unpolished after the fact

and shows how cohesive and gifted this unit is.

On the other hand, it still has that edge to it that says

"this is live", warts be damned, of which there are few.

Julie Slick's bass comes through thunderously on this

recording and really shows her understanding of the

material, Julie is a Thonk Queen. Eric is capable of drumming with the best, and has.

I started listening, as I could, in my car and it sounded awesome. I decided to

move indoors to my HDCD decoding surround system and start

from the start. Wow !

This is as close to what it might sound like on the studio monitors

as a poor boy could get on a shoestring.

The disc clocks in at a tad over 67 minutes with a minimum

of stage banter and a focus on the music, as it should be.

John Sinks has settled nicely into the sound engineer seat

and this recording shows it. We all dearly miss Ken but I

think he would be tipping his hat to his friend for his

work at the helm.

Biff Blumfumgagne has taken over as stage tech and provided

those hither to mysterious backing vocals and harmonies.

The Crimson cuts, while having been recorded live in many

settings before this, take on a new life and are welcome additions

to the Trio cannon. Dinosaur seems fresh and driven with

a slightly quicker pace to my ears.

Young Lions, which has been one of the "solo" spotlights

in the past, is given the full three piece treatment here and

it is a rollicking rendition indeed.

The true "star" here though is the new material plus

"Of Bow & Drum". (Is it too late to tour the Op Zop album

proper ? )

The Grammy nominated "Beat Box Guitar" has some space in the middle

for Adrian, Eric and Julie to play around a bit and, they do.

"A Little Bit of Madness" is a barn burner and I'm surprised that the

venue is still standing at the end.

Adrian gives full voice to the Belewps concept in "Drive" with

the rhythm section on break. The sound of the car starting this

track off moves around in my speakers and drives right on by

as Adrian digs in.

"Writing on the Wall", "Ampersand", Matchless Man" all come across

as fresh and exciting, considering that Eric and Julie did not play

on the originals, they have had space to make these versions

their own. "Big Electric Cat", a favorite of college radio in

the way back when, is always fun and welcome, this rendition

is no exception with new life.

In the musical circles that I frequent, talk of the annual "best of 2007" lists

has already begun in earnest. I'm glad that Side Four has hit the ground

in time to be in mine.

As with the previous "sides", this one has cover art as painted by Adrian

with a great band photo by Mark Colman.

Mixed and Mastered by Saul Zonana.

Thanks to Rob Murphree, the official Webmunky, for keeping us

informed and providing a home for the Elephant Blog and download store

which has provided a whole new way for us to appreciate

and keep tabs on the world of all things Belew.

Thanks to Adrian for taking the time to share in the Blogosphere and

regale the loving public with so many fascinating tales.

Oh, and, thanks for the great music of which there has been an abundance,

in the past few years.

PS, Not to detract from the current Side Four news at hand but,

I have just uploaded various photos of The Bears and The Power Trio I.

Be sure and go order Side Four before you steer away.

( clicking on the cd cover above will get you to Adrian's site, see Store Belew )

Caption Potential ?

2007-12-03T19:48:00.000-05:00

CAPTION POTENTIAL

A new scan of an old favorite, this one begs for a caption and practically writes itself. I was driving toward home one day and just happened to have my Canon in the car when I spotted this blazing opportunity on the side of the road. If you are a NASCAR fan, you have probably seen this sign at some point, as it was located on the fringe of Bristol Motor Speedway grounds.

I have several captions in mind for this photo but, I thought it might be fun to solicit suggestions from passers-by as well as any regular visitors to this site. Please use the comment feature below, or, go to my flickr page and use the comment section there to suggest your caption. I will, after a time, post the suggestions here and then, figure out a way to let the public vote on their favorite.

A friend of mine discovered that my photo had found it's way to one one of those "joke" sites where they tend to collect these type things.

Be sure to click on the photo for a larger version.

A Good Soak...

2007-11-28T00:03:00.000-05:00

My Photos

2007-11-24T17:15:00.000-05:00

I have added a link at the right to my photographs at flickr.
I have only just begun to upload and arrange so, check back often.

www.flickr.com

More of block_dog's photos

Badges ( Part IV )

2007-11-24T14:01:00.000-05:00

My final post on Badges.

In 2001 I traveled to Chicago to attend my first ever "House Concert".

I posted about this event back in September which can be

found Here.

David Wilcox , the one from Asheville, not Canada, came to entertain a

group of about 45 Internet "list" fans from all over the country and beyond.

We had a couple that came from The Netherlands and another from Berlin.

David performed at a nearby college on Friday night, which most

of us attended. Saturday evening was our turn and David had done his

homework and managed to engage the audience on a personal level, knowing

a little something about most of the people in the room, he would write

people into the lyrics or he would pretend to forget lyrics and bring

people up to sing. I, for obvious reasons, was called on to sing

the song Block Dog. I was very nervous but I think I got through it okay.

We were treated to a show that lasted around 4.5 hours and

you couldn't have asked for a greater experience.

Badges? We didn't need no stinkin' badges, but, we had them

for fun. Above is my badge, signed and the pick that

David used at both shows that weekend.

Yes but Block, why does that badge have a pair

of briefs in the center, you may wonder.

Well, our hostess with the mostest, Paula The Music Junkie,

came up with an idea to make the event a little *more* by

contacting a local shelter and asking them what they

most needed. Underwear was the reply so, we gathered new packs

of various styles of undies in a 55 gallon barrel for

to deliver to the shelter.

A grand time was had by all and I have become a fan

of house concerts with a desire to one day start my own.

Anyway, if you have a band or a festival or any event and

would like someone to design a "pass" for same...

Drop me a line and let's work something out. ;-)

Badges ( Part III )

2007-11-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

2001 rolls around and it's back to 12th & Porter

for another round of warm up shows for

The Power to Believe.

I saw K.C. a few more times that year

and it was fun to watch the material morph

and come together.

Sam's Gap

2007-11-23T22:39:00.000-05:00

Badges (Part II)

2007-11-23T14:43:00.000-05:00

So, also in 2000, after the positive outcome from

my King Crimson badge effort, I whipped up this one

for a show in Knoxville, TN for the same reasons.

I did not create these badges for to create chaos at these events.

A friend who went with, despite my protesting, decided to try

the badge out for it's power of confusion.

He got up and headed straight for the curtains leading to backstage,

with security in place, he breezed right through.

Next thing I know he strolls out on stage during the set change with

Tull's stage crew and tour manager all around him, he stands at Ian Anderson's

mic and stage position.

I have a picture of him up there but, I don't know if I should post it here

without asking him first.

10 Items Or Less

2007-11-23T13:02:00.000-05:00

The Thanksgiving holiday allows for some "catch up" movie viewing.

One of my favorites from the selection, "10 Items Or Less".

The critics aren't kind to this Indy film for the most part.

They say it is about nothing which couldn't be farther from the truth.

Sure, it lacks side splitting slapstick for the most part, it doesn't have

a special effects budget that could have fed a small third world country

for a week, but, it represents a slice of life where two

people from different worlds take a moment in time to

experience some human contact, encourage a stranger and

examine the human condition.

If "Pieces of April" is in your list of Holiday viewing then I think

you will appreciate this movie as I did.

About an actor who hasn't worked in four years, gets an offer

to star in a low budget, Indy film and travels out of

his realm to scout and study for a part in a part of town that

isn't his regular level of stomping grounds.

The film company is shaky at best and when Morgan's character

is dropped at a grocery store to study for his part, he finds himself

stuck there as his ride never returns to collect him.

He befriends a young and pretty Spanish girl who

is in charge of the 10 items or less register.

This develops into a relationship by which both characters

find themselves helping the other in ways that each needed

at the time.

In one segment they discuss 10 items or less that

you would keep in your life if you could only keep 10.

This makes for a good discussion for Thanksgiving, no ?

If you require huge explosions and car chases in your entertainment, then,

this film may not be for you.

If you are open to inspiration towards helping others, then, by all means...

Badges

2007-11-23T10:09:00.000-05:00

In the year 2000 a few internet friends, whom I had never met, were gathering in NashVegas, TN for to witness King Crimson "Warm Up" shows for their subsequent World Tour for The "Construction of Light". They were performing for three nights in a small club, which was a treat, indeed. (12th & Porter)

It was decided that we needed a way to spot one another and the Badge was born. I decided to try my hand at creating something for the occasion, having enough knowledge in Photoshop to be dangerous. Little did I know that my badge would be decent enough to confuse security.

It is rare to never that KC performs a "cover" but we were treated to this awesome version
of "Heroes" as an encore.
This is not the Nashville performance but, you get the idea. ( Video courtesy of Bootleg TV )
Robert Fripp played this lead guitar part on the original with Bowie. Adrian Belew became David's band director for the "Sound & Vision" tour so, he also had previous experience with this song.

65

2007-11-23T09:41:00.000-05:00

Taken several years ago at Asheville Recyclers

when they were on Biltmore Ave. I don't think

they *are* at all these days.

Adrian Belew - Side Four Live ORDER NOW !!!

2007-11-17T01:22:00.000-05:00

photo by Mark Colman

Click on Cover Art to place your order today

(available in Signed or Not So Signed )

here are the delicious treats awaiting you when

you sit down to feast on side four (live)

writing on the wall

dinosaur

ampersand

young lions

beat box guitar

matchless man

a little madness

drive

of bow and drum

big electric cat

three of a perfect pair

thela hun ginjeet

the pumpkin pie is optional.

happy thanksgiving everyone.

( From Adrian's Elephant Blog )

Craig Ferguson

2007-11-11T08:05:00.000-05:00

This video has been around for a while but bears repeating...

Adrian Belew - Side Four Live Update Update !!!

2007-11-08T21:31:00.000-05:00

Pre-orders for Side Four will be taken on Tuesday, November 20th !

You heard it here first folks...

Adrian Belew - Side Four Live Update

2007-11-08T15:18:00.000-05:00

From Elephant Blog

the parts for side four (live) were sent to the pressing plant to begin the manufacture thereof.in two weeks we will begin accepting orders.I'm told they will make lovely Christmas giftsfor unsuspecting sucker...er, friends and relatives.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007

a little madness...
looking over the color proof for the artwork for side four (live) eric commented on the name change I've made for the song madness from side one. on the live record the title is now a little madness. there are two reasons why: first, on the live version I say "a little madness" over eric's drum intro, but second and more importantly it's a money saving device. how so? you might ask. when I was writing madness I considered singing a lyric about a young musician who believes he is being "visited"in his dreams by aliens, who are teaching him ways to do incredible things with the healing sounds of music. he believes he is learning to cure certain diseases just by playing specific sounds which radically affectand alter the listener's molecular makeup. the problem is: it's driving him crazy! as part of the lyric I had written a speaking part as an intro before the massive blast of music begins. fittingly I remembered a scene in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey the music in the scene had a profound effect on me. it was a piece by Katchaturian. so for the intro with the spoken voiceI decided to play a small portion of the Katchaturian piece on guitar with a bed of synthesizer "space" sound beneath it. the whole bit was 50 seconds long. the song was nearly 7 minutes. eventually the vocal/lyric idea didn't pan out. I guess I'm not a good enough actor. but martha was convinced the music was my masterpiece. whether or not you agree with that assessment trust me, it is much better without my vocal idea. I dropped the vocal but I still liked the 17-second guitar intro so I left it that way. I didn't even think the Katchaturian music might not be public domain. just before side one was to be released we received a call from the dead Mr. Katchaturian's publishing company. it was too late just to leave off the 50 seconds of Katchaturian (the record was already mastered) so we had to bow to their demands for 50% of the publishing on my seven-minute masterpiecefor the privilege of 50-seconds of the dead Mr. Katchaturian's music. evidently the afterlife must be an expensive place. and that is why there is a new piece on side four (live) called a little madness.

-adrian belew from elephant blog

TOUR DE FRANK - SECOND CHANCE

2007-11-06T10:49:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: Zappa Plays Zappa Live DVD - Available NOW

Get your's here: Barfko Swill

Zappa Plays Zappa is back on the road, check the tour dates at Zappa Plays Zappa. Do not miss them if you can manage. They are off to the land down under after these U.S. dates...

IT'S TIME FOR...

2007-11-04T12:27:00.000-05:00

NEW RULES !

Our Torturing Ways...

2007-11-04T11:16:00.000-05:00

Do you write to your congress personalities ? It's a good time to start. Especially to Senators Feinstein and Schumer, whether you're in their state or not.

What are they thinking ?

The Tide Is Turning...

2007-10-31T19:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween !!!

2007-10-31T19:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween !

2007-10-31T14:58:00.000-04:00

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

Trying To Be Less Polite...

2007-10-27T12:14:00.000-04:00

I went to see Tommy Womack and Will Kimbrough last night at my favorite little listening room, The Down Home in Johnson City, TN.
A great show by two very talented players and songwriters. It was obvious they were doing what they love and and having fun doing it.

Will's "Americanitis" from last year is full of catchy tunes with relevant lyrics and releases some angst and frustration over the current climate in our violent trend toward world domination. It was followed this year with "EP" which is an 8 song disc with a minimal approach as far as addtional instrumentation is concerned.

For those unfamiliar with Will's work, here's a brief bio from AllMusic.com
This bio isn't current as it does not cover Will's work with Jimmy Buffett in the last few years.If your a Buffett fan, you have probably heard Jimmy cover Will's "Piece of Work", which is a marvelous song that deserves to be heard by the masses.

Biography
by Rev. Keith A. Gordon
Best-known as a name in the CD liner notes of some of the hippest country and rock artists of the '90s and 2000s, both Will Kimbrough's solo and his band work have been championed by critics on both sides of the ocean. Kimbrough first came to the attention of the industry as frontman for Will & the Bushmen, a popular college rock band formed in the unlikely locale of Mobile, AL. The Bushmen pounded out a reputation on the Southeastern frat-party circuit, releasing the self-produced Gawk in 1985. The band was signed to SBK Records on the strength of their popular live show, releasing the self-titled Will & the Bushmen album in 1989. The band moved to Nashville to record their third album, Blunderbuss, released in 1991. The album yielded a minor hit, but the band broke up in the aftermath of SBK's bankruptcy.Kimbrough formed the Bis-Quits with friends Tommy Womack (Government Cheese) and Mike Grimes (Bare Jr.), the band releasing a self-titled collection of whip-smart roots rock in 1993 for John Prine's indie Oh Boy Records. On the strength of his vastly underrated guitar skills, Kimbrough embarked on a career as an in-demand session player and touring musician, working with artists like Kim Richey, Todd Snider, Rodney Crowell, Steve Forbert, and Amy Rigby. Kimbrough recorded his first solo album in 2000, a collection of shimmering pop-flavored rock titled This, released on his own Waxy Silver Records. Later that year, Kimbrough reissued the Bushmen's Gawk on CD for the first time. In between the demands of session and road work, Kimbrough found time to record his second album, Home Away, released on Waxy Silver in 2002. Since that time, Kimbrough has kept busy releasing a handful of albums including among others Americanitis in 2006 and EP in 2007. A gifted songwriter and talented musician influenced by giants like John Lennon and Alex Chilton, Kimbrough would be a most valuable player on anyone's team.

Tommy's bio at AllMusic is criminally short and needs a good updating.

A onetime member of the post-punk unit Government Cheese, singer/songwriter Tommy Womack later resurfaced in the roots-rock band the Bis-quits, finally going solo in 1998 with the LP Positively Na-Na. Stubborn followed two years later. As an author, he also won acclaim for his memoir Cheese Chronicles: The True Story of a Rock & Roll Band You've Never Heard Of.

Tommy Womack has also done extensive recording and touring with Todd Snider.
Will and Tommy did a, so far, one off recording as a unit known as "Daddy" and the only
release is "Daddy, Live At The Woman's Club".

So, let me give you a taste of what the Will / Tommy experience is like, courtesy of YouTube.

"Trying To Be Less Polite"

A Nice Day With Tommy Womack

Will Kimbrough - "Piece of Work"

Jimmy Buffett's version with footage from "Lost"

Tommy Womack - Cockroach After The Bomb

Will - "Act Like Nothing's Wrong"

Tommy - "I Miss Ronald Reagan"

Will - "Everybody's In Love"

Tommy " Alpha Male & The Canine Mystery Blood"

Will "Life"

The quality of these recordings vary, hopefully it's enough to get you interested.

Showdown With Iran

2007-10-23T23:15:00.000-04:00

As the United States and Iran are locked in a battle for power and influence across the Middle East -- with the fear of an Iranian nuclear weapon looming in the background -- FRONTLINE gains unprecedented access to Iranian hard-liners shaping government policy, including parliament leader Hamid Reza Hajibabaei, National Security Council member Mohammad Jafari and state newspaper editor Hossein Shariatmadari.

In this report, FRONTLINE examines how U.S. efforts to install democracy in Iraq have served to strengthen Iran's position as an emerging power in the Middle East.
"You will not find a single instance in which a country has inflicted harm on us and we have left it without a response. So if the United States makes such a mistake, they should know that we will definitely respond. And we don't make idle threats," Mohammad Jafari tells FRONTLINE in his first-ever television interview.

There are increasing signs that the Bush administration is considering military action before it leaves office if Tehran continues to defy U.N. demands that it cease enriching uranium for its nuclear program -- a program the Iranians insist is for peaceful purposes. "The president has said repeatedly that it is unacceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons," former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton tells FRONTLINE. "If action is not taken in terms of regime change or, if need be, the use of military force, the question of when Iran achieves nuclear weapons is entirely in Iran's own hands. And that is extraordinarily undesirable."

But Richard Armitage, President Bush's former deputy secretary of state, warns, "It would be the worst of worlds for an outgoing administration to start a conflict."

After 9/11, the Bush administration hoped to drive a wedge between Iran's people and their Islamic rulers by installing democracies on two of Iran's borders. "If things had gone better in Iraq," says Hillary Mann, the Iran expert at the National Security Council during the run-up to the war, "then yeah, I think Iran was next."

"I think Iran is more secure now, courtesy of the United States," Bolton says. "We have removed the Taliban regime from Afghanistan, which they viewed as a mortal threat. We have removed Saddam Hussein in Iraq, which they viewed as a mortal threat."

Before invading Iraq, the Bush administration rebuffed a series of overtures from Iran's reformist government -- among them offers to help the U.S. stabilize Iraq after the invasion.

After the invasion a strange fax arrived in Washington. It was a secret proposal for a grand bargain resolving all outstanding issues between the U.S. and Iran, including Iran's support for terrorism and its nuclear program. But opinions differed on how serious the offer was. The State Department thought the reformists were politically weak and promising more than they could deliver. And the White House, newly victorious in Iraq, saw no need to negotiate with Iran. The "grand bargain" fax never received a reply.

Vali Nasr, author of The Shia Revival, believes the Bush administration's confrontational approach discredited Iran's reformists and inadvertently helped bring the new hard-line government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. "The wars of 2001 and 2003 have fundamentally changed the Middle East to Iran's advantage," he says. "The dam that was containing Iran has been broken."

Watch the PBS program here.

Bush Asks Congress For $46 Billion More In War Funding

2007-10-23T14:15:00.000-04:00

Appropriations Chairman Obey on President’s Iraq Request
October 22nd, 2007 by Jesse Lee

Chairman David Obey of the Appropriations Committee issued the following statement on the nearly $200 billion war funding request the President sent the Congress today:

“It’s amazing to me that the President expects to be taken seriously when he says we cannot afford $20 billion in investments in education, health, law enforcement and science, which will make this country stronger over the long term, but he doesn’t blink an eye at asking to borrow $200 billion for a policy in Iraq that leaves us six months from now exactly where we were six months ago.

“Only this White House would call this progress.

“The President needs to rethink his position on both fronts.”
For the last 5 days the Committee has been sending out press releases looking at the difference between the President and the Congress on appropriations bills. See the releases:

· Healthcare Access: $1.4 billion = 4 Days in Iraq (pdf)
· Education: $5.9 billion = 18 Days in Iraq (pdf)
· Transportation Infrastructure: $2.4 billion = 1 Week in Iraq (pdf)
· Medical Research: $1 billion = 3 Days in Iraq (pdf)
· Law Enforcement: $1.8 billion = 5 Days in Iraq (pdf)

Adrian Belew Autos on Ebay

2007-10-21T14:16:00.000-04:00

From Adrian Belew's Elephant Blog:

for those of you interested in my car fixation I have recently listed two of my cars to be sold on eBay motors. they will be there for another 6 days. the first one (above top) is a custom-bodied CRX si, a quick agile little "pocket rocket" which I adore. I've had it since it was new in 1991 and still called a Honda CRX si. now it called a "Vitesse" by the customizers, a shop in Toronto. it took 3 months of labor to convert. such a fabulous car to drive, if you don't mind being constantly asked questions from twentysomething guys.the second car (above bottom) is anything but quick but it's a beautiful all-original "land yacht". a 1963 Chrysler Imperial Crown, a huge car with a square steering wheel and push-button transmission! what could be cooler! we have always called it "the imperial hammerhead" for its odd looking face. when I was a teenager I thought these were the ugliest things on the road. now I drive one! for anyone interested in seeing more about the cars go to eBay motors. the Vitesse is #170159897999. The Imperial is # 170160281888.

(Credit to original photographer for CRX si photo with Adrian Belew & Robert Fripp.)

(I can't remember who took that picture )

Frontline - Cheney's Law

2007-10-21T11:08:00.000-04:00

For three decades Vice President Dick Cheney conducted a secretive, behind-closed-doors campaign to give the president virtually unlimited wartime power. Finally, in the aftermath of 9/11, the Justice Department and the White House made a number of controversial legal decisions. Orchestrated by Cheney and his lawyer David Addington, the department interpreted executive power in an expansive and extraordinary way, granting President George W. Bush the power to detain, interrogate, torture, wiretap and spy -- without congressional approval or judicial review.

Now, as the White House appears ready to ignore subpoenas in the investigations over wiretapping and U.S. attorney firings, FRONTLINE examines the battle over the power of the presidency and Cheney's way of looking at the Constitution.
"The vice president believes that Congress has very few powers to actually constrain the president and the executive branch," former Justice Department attorney Marty Lederman tells FRONTLINE. "He believes the president should have the final word -- indeed the only word -- on all matters within the executive branch."
After Sept. 11, Cheney and Addington were determined to implement their vision -- in secret. The vice president and his counsel found an ally in John Yoo, a lawyer at the Justice Department's extraordinarily powerful Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). In concert with Addington, Yoo wrote memoranda authorizing the president to act with unparalleled authority.
"Through interviews with key administration figures, Cheney's Law documents the bruising bureaucratic battles between a group of conservative Justice Department lawyers and the Office of the Vice President over the legal foundation for the most closely guarded programs in the war on terror," says FRONTLINE producer Michael Kirk. This is Kirk's 10th documentary about the Bush administration's policies since 9/11.
In his most extensive television interview since leaving the Justice Department, former Assistant Attorney General Jack L. Goldsmith describes his initial days at the OLC in the fall of 2003 as he learned about the government's most secret and controversial covert operations. Goldsmith was shocked by the administration's secret assertion of unlimited power.
"There were extravagant and unnecessary claims of presidential power that were wildly overbroad to the tasks at hand," Goldsmith says. "I had a whole flurry of emotions. My first one was disbelief that programs of this importance could be supported by legal opinions that were this flawed. My second was the realization that I would have a very, very hard time standing by these opinions if pressed. My third was the sinking feeling, what was I going to do if I was pressed about reaffirming these opinions?"
As Goldsmith began to question his colleagues' claims that the administration could ignore domestic laws and international treaties, he began to clash with Cheney's office. According to Goldsmith, Addington warned him, "If you rule that way, the blood of the 100,000 people who die in the next attack will be on your hands."

Goldsmith's battles with Cheney culminated in a now-famous hospital-room confrontation at Attorney General John Ashcroft's bedside. Goldsmith watched as White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and Chief of Staff Andy Card pleaded with Ashcroft to overrule the department's finding that a domestic surveillance program was illegal. Ashcroft rebuffed the White House, and as many as 30 department lawyers threatened to resign. The president relented.
But Goldsmith's victory was temporary, and Cheney's Law continues the story after the hospital-room standoff. At the Justice Department, White House Counsel Gonzales was named attorney general and tasked with reasserting White House control. On Capitol Hill, Cheney lobbied Congress for broad authorizations for the eavesdropping program and for approval of the administration's system for trying suspected terrorists by military tribunals.
As the White House and Congress continue to face off over executive privilege, the terrorist surveillance program, and the firing of U.S. attorneys, FRONTLINE tells the story of what's formed the views of the man behind what some view as the most ambitious project to reshape the power of the president in American history.

Watch the Program Here

R.I.P. Joey Bishop

2007-10-20T02:17:00.000-04:00

BeleWings ( A Personal Note )

2007-10-17T23:01:00.000-04:00

If you are lucky you probably have an item or two in your

possession that has been in existence in your world since you

arrived into it. Pictured above is one such treasure from my

family history that I cherish. I wish I had more detailed information for to

share this tale but it is a bit sketchy. I have been trying to research the story

with no positive result as of yet. I am going to have to visit some libraries with deep

newspaper archives and scour the microfilm.

My father had a deep interest in flight, he was a member

of a glider club in Johnson City, TN.

Eventually, he decided to go to Nashville and take the test to qualify for flight

school. Apparently, the highest test score was awarded flight training

with full tuition covered.

My mother decided to make the trip just so she could be there

with my father but, on a whim, she decided she might as well

take the test also since she was there.

Well, I can tell you're guessing ahead of me and you are

correct, it was my mother who had the highest test score.

I'm guessing this all transpired in 1936-37, for it was in

1938 that my mother brought home this lovely trophy

which reads:

Ruth.E.Belew

WINNER 1938 Tri-City Flying Competition

presented by

Major Walter.M.Williams. Director

Tennessee Bureau of Aeronautics

As I understand it, the contest included a test for

bombing accuracy, which involved the dropping of

sacks of flour on designated targets.

I'm not sure what else was required of the contestants

but, I hope to learn more in my research.

I think that was the entire scope of my Mom's flying career.

My father went on to join the air corp in the army

in 1944. His three brothers all served as well and, the

family back home displayed a four star banner which, seems

to now be missing.

My father, as he entered his 80s, discovered that his

pilot's license was still valid and soon partnered up

with a friend who had a small twin engine plane

This led into an exciting, though brief, chapter

in my father's affair with the sky.

But... that's another story, for another time.

Close examination of the trophy reveals that half of the prop

is missing. I seem to recall, somewhere in the deep recess

of my memory, that I may have had something to do with this

at a very young age.

Anyway, I was thinking of my Mother and Father

and thought I would share this sketchy history, perhaps

I can update it later as I uncover further detail.

If you have parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles

who are still around, take this opportunity to learn their

stories. Find out those details that go with your treasures.

You'll be glad you did.

Adrian Belew - Side Four

2007-10-14T15:05:00.000-04:00

Still no news on a release date for the new "Side Four", Adrian Belew Power Trio Live.

In the mean time, while we anxiously wait, here for your pleasure, are some previous releases from the world's greatest stunt guitarist.
Please go out and purchase these if you enjoy them.

coming attractions

Inner Revolution

salad days

Please disable any "Pop Up" killers before clicking the links to listen, usually accomplished by holding the shift or control key while clicking the link. Hold until player appears.

Song of America (Update)

2007-10-14T14:48:00.000-04:00

Song of America is still available for streaming at Free Napster.
I have updated my original post to include the link.
( See September 14th post "Song of America" )
Link to player is a "pop up" application, please disable any pop up stopper, usually accomplished by holding the shift or control key.

Enjoy the free preview but please, run out and purchase a copy, you'll be glad you did.

The rising tide is only lifting the yachts

2007-10-14T12:16:00.000-04:00

The rising tide is only lifting the yachts
By: Steve Benen on Saturday, October 13th, 2007 at 5:30 PM - PDT

The very week that the Republican presidential field insisted that the economy is great, we need more tax cuts for the rich, and that Americans who feel left behind really have nothing to complain about, we see yet another report about the stunning gap in income inequality.

The richest Americans’ share of national income has hit a postwar record, surpassing the highs reached in the 1990s bull market, and underlining the divergence of economic fortunes blamed for fueling anxiety among American workers.

The IRS data go back only to 1986, but academic research suggests the rich last had this high a share of total income in the 1920s.

Asked about the growing gap between rich and poor, the president said, “Our society has had income inequality for a long time.” How insightful.

Note: The comments section on this article at Crooks and Liars contains language that may be considered offensive to some. The views in said comments section are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of this blogger.

Buying The War

2007-10-14T10:49:00.000-04:00

I know it's a lot to ask, for over an hour of your time, to watch a documentary but this is "Must See TV". ( someone probably has a copyright on "Must See TV". )
In America we tend to prefer an easier watch such as "American Idol" or "Friends" but, take a chance, this film is informative and riveting. More importantly, it is full of information that America needs to know.

I also highly recommend "Buying The War" from Bill Moyer's Journal which can be seen
HERE.

I have become a fan of the documentary format, in part, thanks to "Doc Day" on The Sundance Channel.

Iraq For Sale

2007-10-14T10:13:00.000-04:00

NSA Started Domestic Phone Record Program 7 Months Before 9/11 ???

2007-10-13T21:54:00.000-04:00

Startling statements from former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio's defense documents alleging the National Security Agency began building a massive call records database seven months before 9/11 aren't the only accusations that the controversial program predated the attacks of 9/11.

All of the cases pending against the nation's telecoms for allegedly violating the nation's surveillance and privacy laws could be mooted if Congress gives immunity to the companies, as the Administration and the telcos powerful lobbyists are arguing for.

Read the entire article HERE

Dolly Varden

2007-10-12T18:34:00.000-04:00

A Band that deserves more recognition...

This is a House Concert video of Dolly Varden performing "The Wheels Have Left The Road"
form their latest " The Panic Bell". I discovered this band with the "Forgiven Now" album after reading much great buzz about same. I picked up the vinyl edition and fell in love after one spin. I burned the LP to CD for the car until my official copy arrived.
I have since backtracked and purchased each release, including a duo disc by Steve and Diane ,
which I also highly recommend.
You can read more about them and hear some more music at their Myspace Page or visit the Official Site. This is a lovely song but doesn't represent the diverse directions and influences found in their catalog. Look into it, they are block dog approved.

Don't miss the video on their MySpace Page, you'll have to scroll down to find it. Fun !

Who has theater style seating in their house for concerts anyway ? How cool is that ?

Calexico - Sunken Waltz

2007-10-07T08:48:00.000-04:00

From the DVD "World Drifts In"
Calexico Live at the Barbican London
Quarterstick Records
Visit Casa De Calexico

Free Burma !

2007-10-04T07:27:00.001-04:00

Free Burma

2007-10-03T17:57:00.000-04:00

On October 4th this blog will go silent as part of this world wide statement in support of the monks and people of Myanmar. (Burma)

The header of my post below links to one article while clicking on the picture links to another.

Free Burma!
International Bloggers' Day for Burma on the 4th of October
International bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma.
We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons.
These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words "Free Burma!“.

http://www.free-burma.org/

Google Links

The World Is Watching

2007-10-03T15:29:00.000-04:00

Or needs to be !

Please keep the monks of Myanmar in your thoughts.