Forget the Alamo: Remember the Mix Tape!!!!

I don't know how many people took the time to make mixtapes back in the hey day of the cassette players, but I know that I was fairly addicted to the practice. The assembling of music in such a way that it conveys how you feel to another human being is special. Well, it is to me anyhow. I've given them as gifts before, because that's exactly how I saw a mixtape that I compiled for someone.....a gift. An expression of my feelings for them in a way that I couldn't create organically.

I remember digging through my dad's records (all of which are now mine....thanks dad) and writing down what songs I wanted to put together. I would write them down, file the records in order and then look at the list again to make sure it was just how I wanted it to be. When making them for myself, I was a bit more forgiving on how rigid I would be with my criteria. There seemed to be one or two songs that found their way on to almost every mix tape I made for myself, that just didn't fit.  If I were taking the time to make a mix for someone I knew, the criteria became much more clear and the rules got a bit more unforgiving. 

I am of the belief that you should use a 60 minute cassette. An hour is a good amount of time to invest in music without thinking it's sucking the usefulness out of your day. The 90 minute cassette was a blessing for my own mixes, but when making one for another person, I tried to stick with 60 minutes. Didn't want to wear out my welcome. Plus, the more songs you add, as I mentioned before, the higher the chances that you put one or two songs on there that you wish you hadn't. That shit can haunt you!

Creating a mixtape was always kind of cathartic for me. If I were having some troubles or needed to feel a certain way, I would fall back on my favorite songs to get my mind right. Or, sometimes, I'd just roll around in my own misery or discontent and make a mix tape that heightened my emotions. I saw, and still do see, a well planned out mixtape (mix CD now....blah) as an extension of who I was. I would take someone else's art and fashion it into something that made me feel a certain way. How many things in life can we do that with now? How many people slow down to actually put together a piece of "pleasure" for themselves or someone else? Sure, it's easy to burn a playlist, but I'm talking about compiling some songs and listening to them as you do so. There was a bit of magic to it. For those of you who do not understand, that's OK.....you just missed out. Or, perhaps you were out partying, working on your future, or getting laid, while I was sitting in front of a stereo system surrounded by tapes, records, pens, and pieces of notebook paper. That kind of paints a sad vision of my mid-teenage years, right?

I could write quite a bit more on this, but I think I'll stop here. I could go into the little rules that people like me made up. It was almost an art. Here's an example; always start out with an attention grabber and then one just a bit better than the first. After that you can slide back down and settle into a stream of good tunes that hold to a theme. Never end a side or a tape with a throw away song. Begin and end with songs that best convey your intentions with the tape. OK, so I didn't quite stop....but as you can see, there is a little bit more to it than what meets the eye of a person who doesn't get the concept. 

If you want to see a truly terrific film about romantic relationships, friendships, unfinished business, and how music connects those things for many people, check out "High Fidelity", starring John Cusak. It's based on a novel by Nick Hornby and has some great scenes involving how music makes us feel and how we can take that music and turn it into a love letter, a break up letter, personal manifesto, or just a thread of songs that can make your time driving in your car more enjoyable.

Here's a great scene of "Rob" creating a mixtape for a female journalist he met. She wants to do an interview and talk about his "Top 5" songs (which is another blog entirely....the "Top 5" thing....it's what we media geeks do) and he knows the best way to do that is to make her a tape. It's a really good movie. I highly recommend it. I'm pretty sure it's the first thing (and best thing IMO) that Jack Black was in. 

Well, there that is. I don't suppose there is much entertainment value for anyone to read. I do feel like the more nostalgic among us may get the itch to visit an old mix tape they have thrown in a box or in their sock drawer. So, if nothing else, perhaps I've sparked something in one of you that will lead you to either re-visit an old tape or maybe make a new one for yourself, a friend, or a loved one! Remember, you are making personal art out of someone else's personal art. Be respectful of the process! 

What We Do On The Internet, Echoes In Eternity!

I've been thinking about the culture lately. Last night as I was contemplating my own demise, which face it, could come at ANY moment now that I'm in the age zone for heart attacks and strokes, along with my less than human being type diet. What will we each leave behind when we finally kick the bucket? What will be left for people to remember us by? 

In days past, there were usually just some photos and a few artifacts from our lives that someone in our family kept and passed down from generation to generation. The more time that passed, the less people remembered you or even cared that you existed. Unless you were a person who left your mark as a performer, politician/leader, writer or artist, you just eventually became ashes and blew into history with billions before you. 

These days, it's different. Quite a bit different. Everything we do seems to be recorded. The digital age allows us to take THOUSANDS of photos and store them without taking up space. There are CD's and DVD's crammed with photos in almost everyone's computer desk. Not that these will ever get looked at again. Or at least they won't until someone dies. Then we can drag 'em out and put together a video montage. I think that's pretty cool and a nice keepsake. We also have digital video recorders now. Besides the piles of video tapes with lots of shit you'll never watch (or edit...you KNOW that you have promised yourself to edit them. You will not do it.), you can now store the videos on your computer or portable hard drive....and not watch them. 

And then, there is the internet. Most people under the age of 50 have a Facebook page. Some arrogant and egotistically self-important jag offs even have blogs. Don't forget emails. And what about those message board comments? A lot of us do those too. 

Where does this stuff go? We know that we keep some of it. We know others keep some of it. And then, we REALLY know that Google keeps some of it.....all of it. All this information about us and our lives....just out there on the wide wide world of webs. We now have the ability to have almost everything about us live on indefinitely into the future. And I think that's a good thing in some ways. But in other ways, it can be either hilarious or ghastly, depending on how you wanna look at it. 

Let's take a look at a few pictures that you probably should have considered NOT putting on the interwebs. 

Yes, I've used this picture in another blog, but couldn't help going back to it. Not the worst picture, but certainly one that her daughter there won't be showing off to friends when "Momma" bites the big one and is swept off into eternity. Come on already.....let's lose the pooched lip thing. 

Gotta love the "People of Walmart" pictures. There is no way to even begin to think that's cool. None. I'm not convinced that woman is alive. She's fictitious. A photo shopped creation. NOBODY does that. Do they?

Look dear, here is your grandmother passed out on the night of my conception. 

"What we do in Walmart, echoes in eternity!!!"

And these are just pictures. Imagine all the stupid shit people have written as Twitter or Facebook updates. Think about all those e-mails!!

Oh, and these blogs. Ha Ha.....if I die tonight (I'd say even odds) there is no way that my kids won't know that they had a mentally ill, pot head, angry, goofy, self-centered, confused, ridiculous father.

 And this isn't me, but I want to sound off the warning;

IF YOU HAVE ANY TAPES OF  YOU HAVING SEX, EITHER WITH YOURSELF, ANOTHER PERSON, OR OTHER PEOPLE, MAKE A CONTINGENCY PLAN WITH A FRIEND ON THE EVENT OF YOUR DEATH FOR THAT STUFF TO GET DESTROYED! (yeah, that'll happen...wink, wink....I got you covered Chris)

That is a public service announcement right there. That's just me, I like to help out. And if you have any porn saved, just get rid of it. We have online streaming these days. It's like Pee Wee getting busted at a peep show in the 90's.....we had fuckin' VCR's you dummy.

Consider what is left behind for your family and friends to find (and probably either hate you over, want to die themselves over, or make fun of) when you take the dirt nap?

It's enough to make you think, ain't it?

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There ain't no grave can hold my body down 
There ain't no grave can hold my body down 
When I hear that trumpet sound I'm gonna rise right out of the ground 
Ain't no grave can hold my body down 

"Ain't No Grave"---Johnny Cash

Doug Stanhope, Alex Jones & The Austin Incident

Doug Stanhope

Last week while doing a search for some comedy on You Tube, I stumbled across a video from a show that Doug Stanhope performed in Austin, Texas in 2004. Anyone who has paid attention to my blog over the past year or so knows that I really dig the type of stand up that Stanhope, Joe Rogan, Bill Burr, and Louis C.K. perform. They seem to be the offspring of the brilliant, but now deceased Bill Hicks, who was every bit as much a social commentator as he was a comic. I love to watch a good hour of stand up, but what made this one appealing, just from the title alone, was the word "incident" and the name "Alex Jones". At that point, I'm all in. Keep in mind that this show was performed just after we had invaded Iraq and there was quite a bit of uncertainty, fear, and tension about the war.

Alex Jones

I assume from the video that Stanhope was just going to give his performance. Nothing that merited any special attention, just doing what he does best....making people think and laugh. Alex Jones is asked to introduce Stanhope on to the stage and does so, after about 8 or 9 minutes of New World Order ranting. Jones, for those who are not familiar with him, is a conspiracy theory guy. He is involved in making some really good documentary films (The Obama Deception) and  hosts a radio show. He's out there, and tends to go way over the top, but he does provoke thought and discussion. On this night, I'm not sure if it was booze or what, but he just took over the stage. He went on a long rant about how the government sets up dictators so we can have enemies to fight and how asleep the American public is about it. Honestly, there isn't much of a way for me to describe it that is going to be as interesting as seeing it. So, I'll post his opening rant, without the entire show behind it. Here is the first ten minutes, eight of which is Alex Jones going absolutely ape shit. By the end of this, he's arguing with the crowd, and when Stanhope finally takes over, he has to deal with some hostility and high emotions from the audience for the rest of the show.  

Stanhope never really gets back on track as far as his act goes, but he starts interacting with the audience, which leads to truly organic and great moments. Yes, this act goes totally off the rails, but there are some great laughs. I'm not sure how many comics would want to push through a show like this, but it's really great to see something so real. 99.9% of the time, any show you pay to watch, is so pre-arranged and set up that you don't get an ounce of spontaneity from the performer. Watching Jones and then seeing Stanhope's face a couple of times when he comes on stage, it's hard not to get the feeling that he was enjoying the chaos that Jones was creating between himself and the audience. If you love stand up that makes you think about our culture, this one is for you. Interesting, annoying and entertaining all at the same time. I tip my cap to Doug Stanhope. He keeps it real!  

If you are interested in seeing the show in its entirety, here you go!

Hello 2012, Sorry I'm Late To The Party!

Alright then....I know....I know....I'm late. It's nine days into 2012 and I've yet to make a post. But, let's be fair to me, I have picked up a lot of writing to do for work, so my personal stuff has taken a big hit. But you don't care about that, do you? You and the legions of fans are clamoring to know what's going on upstairs, are you not?

I kicked off 2012 the same way I ended 2011. Listening to one of the best little rock n roll bands I've ever known, rocking the stage one final time (or so they say). The V-roys have been a favorite of mine ever since a friend (Brian) took me to a show they were playing with The Los Lonely Boys on the Louisville riverfront. I was really taken with them (Goodnight Loser sucked me in) and never missed a show when they came to Louisville or Newport. They disbanded back in .....uhhh....1999 I think it was. Never thought I'd see them again. But, they released a "Best Of" collection and decided to play together one more time, which turned into two more times when they added a date at the Southgate House in Newport, Ky. The Southgate House will be closing and after many a rockin' show there, the boys felt the obligation to let loose one more time on the banks of the Ohio River. I attended the New Years show in Knoxville, Tennessee with a few really good friends (Chris, Brian, William) and had a helluva time. One of the best days I've had in quite awhile. The show was top notch and I didn't feel like I was watching a nostalgic reunion. The guys sounded like they never never split up. I tip my cap and thank Paxton Sellers, Mic Harrison, Jeff Bills, and Scott Miller for giving the fans one more show. The pictures I'm including from the show are used without any permission whatsoever from Lynn Point, who I stole them from via Facebook. Lynn, if you don't like 'em being up, let me know and I'll take them down.  

I also took the year 2012 to mean that it was time to get rid of my computer. I have been using the same machine to blog, steal music, read message boards, download porn, photoshop, and email on since 2002. I was due. The old boy lived a pretty good life, but the new Lenovo model is a real gift. I spend a lot of time on the 'net (work and play) and I was growing tired of not being able to open up more than 2 or 3 web pages at a time. The final straw for the old machine was when I was writing an article for work and had it 2/3 complete when the computer crashed. I planted my right fist deeply into the keyboard. I know....just KNOW that I heard it whine. Served you right, bastard. 

I'm gonna end this by doing what everyone does this time of year.....announce the resolutions they'll never keep. I had one last year, and just like the rest of you, I didn't keep it. I vowed to do stand up at an open mic. I never got to it. Wrote some stuff....just never found the time to develop a five minute set and prepare myself. So sue me. With that, let me tell you about some more shit I ain't gonna do;

1) Lose 25 lbs. I COULD do this. Done it before. Several times. At 43 I'm just not likely to knuckle down and do it. I like to eat. Again, lawyer up and serve me with some papers. I'll probably die of a heart attack before we go before a judge.

2) Do a 5 minute stand up set at an open mic. See, I didn't break my resolution....I just put it off. 

3) Stop putting shit off.

4) Smoke less marijuana. I think of brilliant jokes (or what SEEM to be brilliant jokes) when I get high. But usually it's late when I partake and I'm too lazy to get up and write anything down.  

5) Maintain a more even and positive attitude.

6) Smile and laugh when I think about how stressed I used to get at my old job. Now I smile and laugh, for the most part, while I do my new job. My what a change of scenery can do for the soul. If I had a soul, that is. 

7) "Tebow" at a local church. Will anyone notice?

8) Break number 4. (as a matter of fact, I've already done that...so here is ONE resolution I'm gonna keep)

I hope everyone has a great year....the best of your life. Talk to you soon. If I can think of anything to tell you. 

War On Christianity, War On Christmas .... yada yada yada...

Alright, we have an ongoing pissing contest in a Texas town over a nativity scene. Big deal. Happens every year, or so it seems. A nativity scene goes up on public property and some big bad atheist group wants to have it taken down. There are many times....hell, most times where I think "Who really cares?". But that is just a personal view on it. A nativity scene and religious symbols surrounding the holiday doesn't really bother me, even though I don't believe in Bible god or Jesus. It's like Santa Claus to me. Do I worry about a man coming down my chimney and invading my home? Of course not....it's not real. The nativity scene could have baby Sponge Bob laying in the manger and it would be just as real to me as the Jesus baby. But, despite my personal opinion, there are valid reasons for not allowing a religious nativity scene on public property. 

First of all, our nation's founding fathers (most of them) believed that church and state should remain separate from one another and that the state (government) shouldn't support a religion. That is not only for the benefit of the government, but it's also a benefit for religion. Religion gets the gift of living a tax free existence, in regards to how much money it brings in. Religion is allowed to flourish, so long as it is not infringing on the rights of others in a tax payer funded place. That means public parks and government centers are off limits for religious displays. If we allow religious displays on public grounds, then perhaps we should expect churches and religious organizations to start paying taxes and have their books audited. And perhaps the government should step in and start looking at the curriculum that private schools teach in regards to religion. Maybe government officials can be on hand at every service to make sure that political candidates were not endorsed? If you want to be a part of the government by being able to display and promote your religion on tax payer funded ground, then you must expect that the public wants to know exactly what is going on inside of the churches. Maybe getting this out in the open and making religious organizations pay taxes could be a good thing. Atheists can start going into these churches and handing out literature on Sunday morning. Gonna feel a little persecuted then? 

There is no "War On Christmas". It's a fallacy. There is no "War On Christianity". It's a fallacy. There are organizations out there that want to beat back religious influence, that's for damn sure, but to believe you are being singled out for persecution because of a nativity scene being challenged is sort getting yourself worked up for no good reason. Would it be OK to start displaying symbols and depicting scenes from other religions on publicly funded ground? If it's OK for a nativity scene to go up, then it must be fine for an atheist group to place their own nativity scene right beside it, right? Or put up a big sign saying "There is no god, Jesus is a fairy tale".....down with that?  Perhaps the Muslims could start sitting outside every courthouse in America and do scenes about Muhammad catching a winged horse to heaven? Maybe Satanists could do their version of a nativity scene? Is that OK? 

The story of this small Texas town got to me and I posted on my Facebook page that I sort of thought....ehh....just leave it be, it's only for a week or so. But, I had a friend make some very good points to me about why you can't give an inch. If you give an inch here and an inch there, when does it stop? And who does it stop? We don't need anti-religion propaganda on tax payer land any more than we need the religious propaganda. And if you allow a Christian display and don't allow other displays, there is no line between church and state at that point, as Christianity would be basically endorsed by the state. What about the Muslims who may live in that town? Are they not tax payers? Do they not have the right to not feel like they live in a town where one religion was not preferred over another? Here is a snippet from the story I'm going to link from FOX News;

Pastor Lorick said it’s time to draw a line in the sand — and start standing up for the Christian faith.

“Christianity is under attack in America,” he told Fox News & Commentary. “Our country is quickly heading down a direction which the Christian faith is taking a hit — it’s quickly becoming suppressed.”

The attorney general (Greg Abbot) agreed with that sentiment.

“There has been an ongoing battle between the forces of atheism and the forces of those who are antagonistic to all things religious against those who recognize the religious heritage of this country,” Abbott said. “And by defending Nativity scenes, by defending the Ten Commandments and by defending students who try to say a prayer at a graduation ceremony, we’re trying to preserve, protect and defend what we know is perfectly legal.”

Don't Mess With A Texas Violation Of The Constitution

Those quotes make me cringe just a little and chuckle a little more. You can have a nativity scene at ANY church and you can leave it up year around if you like. You can have a nativity scene at any privately owned place. You just can't do it on public grounds where people who may not agree with you also go and pay taxes to use. Those comments above have no place in the discussion. You can display the Ten Commandments in school. A Christian/Jewish school. You can openly pray to a Christian god at graduation. A Christian school graduation. You can hand out Christian literature at church or in private places. You shouldn't be able to wield your influence in public places, unless you are ready to accept all that is going to come with that. That would be a bad deal for both the Christian and non-Christian. 

Let's face it. Christmas is not a religious holiday. It's pagan. That's it. Pure and simple. Many of the traditions that Christians (and everyone else) follow every year are from pagan cultures, not Christian ones. Besides Jesus, there are other "gods" who claim birth on December 25th. All of them came before Jesus. Coincidence? And let's face something else. If about 80% of Americans consider themselves Christians, what are you afraid of? How can you feel attacked with that number? How can you feel attacked when almost every political leader in our nation brings up god every time they give a speech? How can you feel attacked when "In God We Trust" is on our currency? How can you feel attacked when the pledge of allegiance has the words "one nation under god" firmly in place? How can you feel attacked when a great deal of the Christmas music played is religious in nature? It's nonsense and just a reason for Christians to kick and scream a little bit. If you are offended that a small group of people want to ruin your fun, then shouldn't you also feel concern when a large majority wants to have it's way, simply to have its' way? Try a little self awareness and try to put yourself in the shoes of someone that doesn't agree with you.   

Muslims were not allowed to buy a piece of property and build a mosque in New York City, but Christian groups feel persecuted because they can't put a nativity scene up on public ground? Ha Ha......wow.....talk about having your head up your ass! It's WAY up there. 

The answer is this. Find any church or private land and put up your nativity scene. I'd love to take my kids to see it. For full disclosure, if they have a live scene at a local courthouse, I'd take my children to see it if they wanted to go. But that doesn't mean it should be there. There is a can of worms that can be opened and I don't think Christians want that to happen. Once we start giving in to open season on religious displays in publicly funded places, you are not going to be happy with what ensues. You'll be begging to follow the Constitution of the United States again. Enjoy yourselves. Enjoy your religion. Enjoy talking about the birth of Christ with your friends and family. Religion is a personal venture that can have a real impact in people's lives in a very positive way. But everyone doesn't believe and that should be respected. 

And for atheists and agnostics who feel they have to battle religion at every turn. I support the fight to keep government and religion separate. But, get over the anger. Sure, I have my own anger story from my "transformation", but at some point you have to let it go and work from love and knowledge and not from disdain and anger. A dogmatic fundamentalist Christian is no less annoying to me than a spiteful, angry atheist who won't concede that religion can (and does) have a positive place in many corners of our society. 

Let's try to respect each other and not spill our anger, venom, and frustration into areas where we only cause a greater gap to emerge between one another. Love and understanding is the only way to truly bridge gaps. If every move that everyone of us made came from love, how much better of a world would we live in? If we cared more about human beings than getting people to believe or not believe, couldn't we build towards a society, a country....a WORLD, where no child goes hungry? Where no child has to fear a bomb being dropped on their home? Where a mother doesn't have to stay up at night worrying about her 19 year old son or daughter fighting in wars? Wouldn't it be a great world if every child got a meal, not just at Christmas, but every day? Aren't those the important things? Put the nativity scenes on church grounds or private places and enjoy the season. Perhaps you may draw in some non-believers and you can share your religion with them....or not. Maybe we can all enjoy the hope, joy, love, and peace that seems so promisingly close at this time of year. 

May you enjoy thinking of Christmas' past with friends and loved ones who are no longer with us. May you enjoy the presence of friends and family and appreciate the love and compassion we can show one another. May each of us share a little love and compassion with a stranger who is need of comfort.  

Happy Christmas To You All!!!

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