Words and phrases from a recent conversation between 2 like-minded individuals:
Note: these words are not in sequential order, rather they are posted in a semi-sorted manner.
Purify Yourself
Felt Her Presence
Cures Cancer
Activist Judges
The Healing Power of Herbs
Energy Obeys God's Laws
Silenced by the Federal Government
Nothing too crazy there, right? Just a couple of conservative network marketers trying to uplift each other.
Elder's Quorum President
Righteousness
Apostles
In the Temple they teach...
Adam-Ondi-Ahman
The Perfect Teachings of the Prophets
Christ
Bishop
Satan's Plan
OK. A couple of LDS conservative marketers giving each other the winky winky "you can trust me" speech.
Headed for Hell
I'll Kick his Ass
Shit
Damnit
Asshole
Stupid Fucker
Bullshit
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Class Participation Time
What should my next blog post be about?
I will take suggestions and at least the first 100 will be strongly considered for publication.
Thank you for your support.
(hoping that someone doesn't want me to expound on feminine hygiene products or similar subjects which I know nothing about)
I will take suggestions and at least the first 100 will be strongly considered for publication.
Thank you for your support.
(hoping that someone doesn't want me to expound on feminine hygiene products or similar subjects which I know nothing about)
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Big Parades
Went to do a show for a good friend the other day- He is a local folk/rock musician who has enjoyed a fair amount of success- Over 300,000 albums sold and hundreds of sold-out and near-capacity concerts in nearly every state and several foreign countries.
I've been doing this gentleman's shows for over 15 years now, in every capacity you can imagine- Sound Guy, Light Guy, Stage Manager, Catering Guy, Gopher, Security, Driver, Electrician, CAD Artist, Nanny, Scenic Designer, Bodyguard, Roommate, etc.
Well the other day I contacted him and let him know that I was available and interested in helping out with his big summer show- a flashback-type show, with the playing of his complete first album and most of the second. This is the era of his career that I was around to experience and I really like this music.
He gladly accepted my offer of assistance. I was working for dinner, and maybe a little bit of merchandise- although I have it all already, don't need any more.
I went with no expectations, but it did produce a bit of apprehension, since some of the band members were guys from the old days who I hadn't seen in many years.
Things went well, one of the best shows I've ever seen him play. And I've seen hundreds. Really. Literally hundreds. This was fantastic.
A couple days after the show, he sent me a note thanking me for my help. He's very gracious and friendly, and it was nice to have the appreciation.
Here's the email I wrote to send him in reply:
Pete-
Thanks for the message.
Once I heard about the retro-show, I was interested in helping out.
My schedule these days doesn't allow for as much playtime as it used to, but it's nice to squeeze it in when I can. I am always on the hunt for a good night of entertainment- and honestly, that's all I wanted was to see the show.
Once we arrived, it felt like being home- I have to agree with you that it might be the best ever Sandy show and I feel that it may be one of the best shows of all-time.
It was really nice to talk to the band- reminiscing with them about all the shows of the olden days. I realized talking to Ensign that I've known you guys for nearly half my life, and it's been a whirlwind ride. Being around the humor, the old friends and the good people made the evening very enjoyable.
I fear that I'm getting too sentimental about this, but of all the moments in all the shows I've done, seeing Paul Cardall onstage, the sparkle in his eyes- that was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen. He has the same look in his eyes that my young friend Jake, a cancer survivor, has in his. And experiencing it makes me feel good.
We are of the age that we have friends and family that are leaving us, and to see someone who has fought and is winning, that makes me feel good. That's why I do this, that's what it's all about.
Drive This Road and Fool in the Tavern were exceptional as well. Fool might have been the best ever, I absolutely love the 'What About' coda that you do in that one.
Your music, working on your shows- these events have helped shape me, to temper the otherwise chaotic life I lead. Your music has been a huge element of my life, and it's always an honor to help out, to see the music touch and affect others like it does me.
I might be your biggest fan, and it's an honor to call you a friend.
Here's to many many more great experiences.
~P
And now, here's the email I sent:
Thanks Pete.
I really had fun and hope to be able to do it again sometime soon.
Please let me know if you have any shows where I might be able to offer assistance.
~P
I've been doing this gentleman's shows for over 15 years now, in every capacity you can imagine- Sound Guy, Light Guy, Stage Manager, Catering Guy, Gopher, Security, Driver, Electrician, CAD Artist, Nanny, Scenic Designer, Bodyguard, Roommate, etc.
Well the other day I contacted him and let him know that I was available and interested in helping out with his big summer show- a flashback-type show, with the playing of his complete first album and most of the second. This is the era of his career that I was around to experience and I really like this music.
He gladly accepted my offer of assistance. I was working for dinner, and maybe a little bit of merchandise- although I have it all already, don't need any more.
I went with no expectations, but it did produce a bit of apprehension, since some of the band members were guys from the old days who I hadn't seen in many years.
Things went well, one of the best shows I've ever seen him play. And I've seen hundreds. Really. Literally hundreds. This was fantastic.
A couple days after the show, he sent me a note thanking me for my help. He's very gracious and friendly, and it was nice to have the appreciation.
Here's the email I wrote to send him in reply:
Pete-
Thanks for the message.
Once I heard about the retro-show, I was interested in helping out.
My schedule these days doesn't allow for as much playtime as it used to, but it's nice to squeeze it in when I can. I am always on the hunt for a good night of entertainment- and honestly, that's all I wanted was to see the show.
Once we arrived, it felt like being home- I have to agree with you that it might be the best ever Sandy show and I feel that it may be one of the best shows of all-time.
It was really nice to talk to the band- reminiscing with them about all the shows of the olden days. I realized talking to Ensign that I've known you guys for nearly half my life, and it's been a whirlwind ride. Being around the humor, the old friends and the good people made the evening very enjoyable.
I fear that I'm getting too sentimental about this, but of all the moments in all the shows I've done, seeing Paul Cardall onstage, the sparkle in his eyes- that was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen. He has the same look in his eyes that my young friend Jake, a cancer survivor, has in his. And experiencing it makes me feel good.
We are of the age that we have friends and family that are leaving us, and to see someone who has fought and is winning, that makes me feel good. That's why I do this, that's what it's all about.
Drive This Road and Fool in the Tavern were exceptional as well. Fool might have been the best ever, I absolutely love the 'What About' coda that you do in that one.
Your music, working on your shows- these events have helped shape me, to temper the otherwise chaotic life I lead. Your music has been a huge element of my life, and it's always an honor to help out, to see the music touch and affect others like it does me.
I might be your biggest fan, and it's an honor to call you a friend.
Here's to many many more great experiences.
~P
And now, here's the email I sent:
Thanks Pete.
I really had fun and hope to be able to do it again sometime soon.
Please let me know if you have any shows where I might be able to offer assistance.
~P
Isn't it Ironic?
Take a guy, genetically predisposed to early hearing loss and tinnitus and make it his life dream to be a sound engineer.
Or a guy, whose parental history guarantees that he'll have bad knees, arthritis and a bad back. Take that guy and make his favorite hobby hiking. And his second choice? Biking.
Perhaps we should consider a person with social anxiety and communication issues who has a job in the communications industry, dealing with people.
Or a guy, whose parental history guarantees that he'll have bad knees, arthritis and a bad back. Take that guy and make his favorite hobby hiking. And his second choice? Biking.
Perhaps we should consider a person with social anxiety and communication issues who has a job in the communications industry, dealing with people.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Vanishing Point
I'm sitting in Snyderville, Utah at a resort called The Canyons. This place used to be known as Wolf Mountain and before that, ParkWest.
For 20 years, from the mid- 1970s until the middle of the 1990s, everyone played there. I mean everyone. A diverse listing of bands from every genre and country. I can't possibly ever list them all, since the records are all long gone, and the internet only offers a partial history of such things.
The Grateful Dead, Crosby, Stills and Nash (and occasionally Young), Depeche Mode, Howard Jones, Morrissey, Erasure, New Order, Bunnymen, Eurythmics, John Denver, Love and Rockets, Barenaked Ladies, Dave Matthews, Metallica, PiL, Chicago, Bob Dylan, UB40, Oingo Boingo, America, Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe, Jackson Browne, Lilith Fair, Midnight Oil, Amy Grant, Dan Fogelberg, Suicidal Tendencies, James Taylor, Indigo Girls, Sugarcubes, Pat Benatar, Fleetwood Mac, Sting, The Scorpions, Steve Winwood, The Ramones.
They've killed it.
I have so many memories of this place, and as of today (August 6, 2010) everything about the place I remember has been bulldozed, with the exception of the stairs.
The stairs that used to lead up between the buildings to the stage. All of these people walked up the stairs to the stage. The stage is long gone, the buildings behind the stage have been demolished in the last few weeks, I watched some of them go away today.
Several years ago I visited this place, all the buildings were still intact and you could easily see the footprint of the amphitheater. I stood up on the hill, right in the place I had once enjoyed a New Order soundcheck. I could feel and hear the music. I stood in the 3rd row, where I was for Love and Rockets. I could even smell and taste those days. I walked up a bit and remembered every moment I had ever spent on this hillside, listening to bands that I idolize. I became a 'TreePeople'- again.
I remembered waking up one morning in the rocks... without my shoes. I remembered Howard Jones stopping a song in 1986 mid-song due to rain... and picking it back up a year later from exactly the same spot.
I walked down to the place the stage used to be. I stood center stage, and was electrified by the energy that passed through this spot. I was suddenly Morrissey, Annie Lennox, Jon Anderson, Dave Gahan, John Denver, Pat Benatar, Bernard Sumner, Danny Elfman, Joey Ramone, James Taylor and Jerry Garcia. I could feel them, I could see the crowds, I could understand what these people give of themselves for the fans. I could feel their stagefright, I could taste their drugs.
Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people experienced their favorite bands here. Some of the best (and worst) music in history was performed at this place. And it's all gone. knocked down and carted away in a giant dumptruck.
I despise the bastards that don't understand the value of these things. I hate this place now.
For 20 years, from the mid- 1970s until the middle of the 1990s, everyone played there. I mean everyone. A diverse listing of bands from every genre and country. I can't possibly ever list them all, since the records are all long gone, and the internet only offers a partial history of such things.
The Grateful Dead, Crosby, Stills and Nash (and occasionally Young), Depeche Mode, Howard Jones, Morrissey, Erasure, New Order, Bunnymen, Eurythmics, John Denver, Love and Rockets, Barenaked Ladies, Dave Matthews, Metallica, PiL, Chicago, Bob Dylan, UB40, Oingo Boingo, America, Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe, Jackson Browne, Lilith Fair, Midnight Oil, Amy Grant, Dan Fogelberg, Suicidal Tendencies, James Taylor, Indigo Girls, Sugarcubes, Pat Benatar, Fleetwood Mac, Sting, The Scorpions, Steve Winwood, The Ramones.
They've killed it.
I have so many memories of this place, and as of today (August 6, 2010) everything about the place I remember has been bulldozed, with the exception of the stairs.
The stairs that used to lead up between the buildings to the stage. All of these people walked up the stairs to the stage. The stage is long gone, the buildings behind the stage have been demolished in the last few weeks, I watched some of them go away today.
Several years ago I visited this place, all the buildings were still intact and you could easily see the footprint of the amphitheater. I stood up on the hill, right in the place I had once enjoyed a New Order soundcheck. I could feel and hear the music. I stood in the 3rd row, where I was for Love and Rockets. I could even smell and taste those days. I walked up a bit and remembered every moment I had ever spent on this hillside, listening to bands that I idolize. I became a 'TreePeople'- again.
I remembered waking up one morning in the rocks... without my shoes. I remembered Howard Jones stopping a song in 1986 mid-song due to rain... and picking it back up a year later from exactly the same spot.
I walked down to the place the stage used to be. I stood center stage, and was electrified by the energy that passed through this spot. I was suddenly Morrissey, Annie Lennox, Jon Anderson, Dave Gahan, John Denver, Pat Benatar, Bernard Sumner, Danny Elfman, Joey Ramone, James Taylor and Jerry Garcia. I could feel them, I could see the crowds, I could understand what these people give of themselves for the fans. I could feel their stagefright, I could taste their drugs.
Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people experienced their favorite bands here. Some of the best (and worst) music in history was performed at this place. And it's all gone. knocked down and carted away in a giant dumptruck.
I despise the bastards that don't understand the value of these things. I hate this place now.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Paradise
If we left this town, we could walk the earth together
If you let me down, I will live in you forever
I want you, I want you, I need you, I need you
I want you, I want you, I need you, I need you
If we could find a home, we could go through time together
If we could hold our own, devastate the night forever
There's no place where we can't go
There's no place where I have been
There's no limit I can show
There's no level in between
I could have seen you there,
I need you everywhere
I want you, I want you, I need you, I need you
I want you, I want you, I need you, I need you
I could have seen you there
When I looked into your lifeless eyes, I saw you everywhere
There's no place where you can hide
There's no place that I can't find
There's no end to leave me clean
There's no reason I have seen
If you find me on my own, you could live your life forever
Shall we leave our world alone, maybe we'll go back or never
I could've seen you there
When I looked into your lifeless eyes, I saw you everywhere
I want you, I want you, I need you, I need you
I want you, I want you, I need you, I need you
I want you, I want you, I need you, I need you
I want you, I want you, I need you, I need you
lyrics by Hook, Sumner, Gilbert, Morris
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