Tuesday, March 10, 2015

.."Was It Something I Said?"


Cars rolled by - out on the blacktop, about a hundred times a day
never knew where they were going, they were just going away

An intelligent man knows when to speak up and when to shut up.  That's always been a gray area for me.

Language is such a useful tool. It sets us apart from at least a few species (not prairie dogs). I think it's safe to say that "human homo-sapien  erectus" are the only critters with a 1500+ word vocabulary, that have thumbs and can be trained to do simple mathematics - and we use tools.  The big 4 triple-threat that makes humans the lords of all they purvey.

Not only is language useful, but it is a comfort.  It is the single-most expedient way to convey information among humans - except for Iphones, Google+, and Facebook.

It allows us to tangibly author emotions into full bloom. Imagine your favorite love scenes or heroic scenes in your favorite movies.  Now imagine it without any language. It can get weird in a hurry - (Like nudist camps in Utah).

Picture that poignant scene - the tortured gaze of longing, or the ferocious riveting stare of a vanquishing hero(ine). Relying solely on the "viewable"  occular acrobatics and body language- well.......they sort of go nowhere until somebody says something, or the credits roll - unless it's a foreign film.

Conversation is the garden hose of the soul - for you medical types let's say urethra.  It is how the by-products of thought are passed through the body into the bony light of reality.

The down side of conversation is that it's absolutely impossible to un-say things. Once that brainstorm crosses the soft-palate, it's as permanent as Catholic sin.

My transgressions are many and , most certainly unforgiveable, in some many camps. To my transgressors I can only say  "I apologize whole-heartedly  for my obtuse verbosity - and again for your own apparent lack of critical perception:-)  See...........I told ya I wuz smooth :-)

I confess: I get frustrated and shoot my mouth off all to often. Please forgive my indiscretions.  It's straight up fear. Our society spends so much time and does so much damage,  worrying about and  following the Dems or the GOP, the Conservatives or the liberals, the right or the left, etc.- and I know in my heart of hearts that that stuff is all pure old-T Bullshit.

2000 years ago a carpenter from Galillee laid it all out - as simply as possible. Love one another, give to each other, make a difference in the lives of those around you, be rich by the things you do and not what you take from those who have less. It's the only way we survive,. and yet so many are so slow to come to the party.

 Selfishness and greed are a cancer.  Humanity has to trump politics at some point.That, in a nutshell, is my frustration.  Maybe my only significant one , aside from tamper-proof packaging.


It has a lot to do with why I can't shut up - believe me I tried and failed more than once - through the whole first semester of the 5th grade, and again back in '80 when my ex-wife asked me if I thought she was putting on a few pounds in the hips .  It like to killed me both times.  Sometimes it's best just to give up.

So, I guess the world has to make room for one more ragged-voiced raven on the telephone line. I'll cackle and caw with the best of 'em. If a large target presents itself - and this is truly one instance where size doesn't matter - well...........Watch your heads - I got mad skills when I'm aimin'

"Peace Out"
"Don't take any wooden nickels"

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Came to in a Blinding Fog

It's been a great week - head-cold not withstanding.  June Carter and Elvis have both been of particularly good temperament lately. I have all 6 strings and all 10 thumbs -There's a banjo on the wall, a ride in the driveway, chicken in the pot, and coffee on the stove.  If a cold is the worst thing that happens today - I'll call that a good day.

I wrote that a few days ago, in a fit of blind optimism, before I actually realized that this cold was gonna whip me like a bitch and call me names :-/

3-days later:  I have survived this pestilent plague, through the liberal use of jalapenos, Hulu, garlic, Gatorade, Vapo-Rub, Bengal Spice Tea, cheap cold medicine, - and banjo rolls.  That's right - banjo rolls. Ya can't have just one.

My near brush with death (as near as I wanna get until I get hit by lightning and a SCUD missile simultaneously at 104 ) - has seriously encroached on a time frame that's a little on the short side to begin with.Convalescence and reflection have brought with them a looming sense of panic.

 There's a lot going on in the next couple of months - So much I don't know where to begin.- and that's the problem.  I'm a bit overwhelmed. I've about chewed a hole in my bathrobe sleeve over this.

In my defense - I'm generally pretty good under pressure - but not so great on cold medication or sativas. Shiny stuff distracts me.

Here's my to-do list:

  1. Publish "The Trailer Park Diaries / 50 Shades of Corrugated Aluminum" as a daily blog - perhaps solicit advertisers and continue to steadily  grow a readership
  2. Promote a heavy web presence on social-media. Respond and interact with a daily increasing number of  friends and new fans from the sortarican.com , Facebook, Reverbnation.com, YouTube, and Google.
  3. Finish recording all unfinished parts on the new CD
  4. Move the 5th Wheel ( I call her my "Sorta-Rican Shangri-La" - "My  Hillbilly House of Happy")
  5. Mix The New CD
  6. Start a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign to raise money for mastering, licensing, and producing the New CD
  7. Get CD Manufactured
  8. New timing belt/ water pump for the KIA
  9. Learn new songs, record new songs, and book gigs for new project w/ Alycia Vince
  10. Stir things up again nationally with  SoldierSongs / Develop lesson channel on YouTube
  11. Go play in Fayetteville AR, Corinth MS, and Nashville TN in April - book more tour dates in the South
  12. Book and Play a heavy summer schedule Colorado/ Wyo/ Utah/ Nebraska/ Montana/ Idaho/ Oregon - including dates with Miss Emily and some really fun festival dates.
  13. Some serious time in a nervously intimate relationship with my dentist - where he applies a much-needed overhaul to my cracked-up grin, using nothing but $100 dollar bills and liberal doses of Novocaine.
  14. Dress better - comb hair occasionally :-)
  15. Do the dishes. 
I need all this to be done by the end of business tomorrow - at the latest.  Unreal expectations?  Of course, but where would I be today if it weren't for delusional behaviour?

The long story short of this thing is:  I've come to a place where being me is requiring a good bit more of my time and energy than I originally assumed would be necessary. I'll bet a whole lot of you good folks feel the same way.

 I'm just a guitar-picker(extremely low-stress position) , and if being me ( the most fortunate and blessed person I know), is this much work - You all must be working your asses off!!

I know it.  I see it every day.  Good people trying and fighting - through circumstances so hard and so frightening I can't even whisper the words - just to get through to the light of tomorrow.

I have about a dollar more than I truly need on any given day that's plenty;  and  so much love around me that I never feel alone.  These stresses I have - I can afford to be patient.

I know some of you haven't got a minute to waste.I know that some of my brothers and sisters are in situations that need remedy immediately - that beg the blessing touch of heaven just  to heal what's broken.

It's a privelege to sing to all of you - to hope for a moment that someone is comforted or amused by what I do - that's the best I can ever hope for - in this life or the next.

 It seems unfair to me so often - that I am so blessed when so many need so much.  I'm more than grateful. It's why I believe so whole-heartedly in giving away a little - of my money, my time, myself - is a requisite of living  this truly wealthy existence I enjoy.  To be selfish with what I've been given so freely - would be an insult to heaven.

"Peace Out"
"Don't take any wooden nickels"

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