Fourscore and Five Years Ago...

This blog has greatly expanded. I have just re-introduced the ZanZee 1999 tour journals. The web address is zanzee.blogspot.com. Like everything in my life, it is a work in progress, and will take some time to re-type all the entries. There is about 100 pages of text I will have to transcribe and edit, though I hope I will have ample time over the Christmas break that I can accomplish much of the work.

Truth be known, I never had finished the journal. But I am close. There really is only about a half-day's worth that I will have to recall, but most of the major events are still within the cobwebs of my mind. I fully expect the journal to end with the trip home from Minnedosa's Classic Rock Weekend, and perhaps a short epilogue; a reflection if you will.

I welcome you all to visit the page, and to visit often. I have installed a permanent link to the webpage via the sidebar. Take a brief look into one of the most exciting times of my life...

Speed Bump

This morning, my trusty iMac got a healthy dose of power. My friend (who happens to be a computer technician) and I installed an additional 512 megabytes of RAM, bumping the total RAM available up to 768 megabytes. The operation was quick and painless. We had the cover off and back on in under 2 minutes. To quote my friend, "It doesn't get much faster than that."

Upon reboot, the change was immediately noticeable. Applications launch immediately, and games don't "skip" or "pop". As I write this, I am monitoring SETI@home, and it appears that I could shave an hour off my workunit time.

Checking the system profiler, it was determined that OSX was using 256 megabytes alone. This pretty much meant that prior to the RAM upgrade, the operating system was monopolizing the system resources; any additional running programs were running under virtual memory.

I now have a computer that I am completely satisfied with -- at least for today. In a few years, this machine will become a dinosaur and will require replacement. When that happens, I imagine I will be raving about the next model. Sadly, the depreciation of technology is inevitable.

Piles Of Rock

Last night a few of my friends and I attended the Müle Shöe CD-Release Party. Entitled Piles of Rock, their CD is a reflection of their influences and roots. Take 2 parts Led Zeppelin, throw in 2 parts of Van Halen, and equal parts of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and AC/DC, and you would have something that sounded like Müle Shöe. The theater was packed, though a strange crowd. Müle Shöe is generally known around the local bar scene, but at least half of the theater was comprised of the under-18 crowd. They seemed to enjoy it all the same.

Yes, it was louder than heck.

After the concert, my friends and I found a watering hole to sing a few Karaoke numbers -- pretty much our intent was to have a few beverages, and show off our vocal talents. The bar was packed, which meant that we weren't going to be able to sing more than one or two numbers. So I picked Cheap Trick's Surrender, and CCR's Proud Mary, two numbers I have only sang once before, but I knew I could pull them both off.

With Proud Mary, you know that the whole bar is going to sing along. I heard them all singing over the PA. Of course they loved it. I was just relieved that nobody decided to jump on the stage and "help me out".

I nailed Surrender. I was also paying close attention to the crowd, as last time I sang this number it was in an empty pub, and I couldn't gauge whether or not this would be a song that the patrons would appreciate. We had a winner. There were tons of people singing along -- even a few patrons "banging their heads" to my performance. In addition, there were numerous screams and applause after my performance.

Today, I feeling the after-effects of last night's outing. I think I should be taking it easy for the rest of the day.

A Dark Day For Metal Fans Everywhere

This article appeared today on CNN.com. I reproduced it in full as I felt that the whole story was worthy of publication here.

FORMER PANTERA GUITARIST AMONG 4 KILLED AT CLUB

Police officer shoots suspected gunman to death

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CNN) -- A 25-year-old man stormed the stage at a heavy-metal rock concert Wednesday night, shooting and killing Pantera founder and Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and three others before a police officer shot and killed him, Columbus police said.

On Thursday, police identified the suspect as Nathan Gale of nearby Marysville. A spokesman said police had no information about a motive or possible link to the band.

"Right now we don't see any connection at all, but that could change," Columbus police Sgt. Brent Mull said. "Unless he left a note or there's something else, we may never know the motive."

At least two people also were wounded in the attack, which occurred shortly after Damageplan began its performance at the Alrosa Villa nightclub on Columbus' north side.

James Niggemeyer of the Columbus police was nearby and responded to a call about the shooting. He slipped in a back door, and someone directed him to the stage, Mull said.

"We got the call about 10:18, and by 10:20 he was in there," Mull said, adding that "it was probably less than a minute before he engaged" the suspect, who was holding a hostage.

"The officer was able to strategically gun this guy down before he was able to kill his hostage," Mull said. "It appeared he was about to kill his hostage before this officer put an end to it."

Mull said the hostage was unharmed and that Niggemeyer's action saved lives.

"The officer ran in without any backup ... obviously put himself at risk," he said. "The community has a real hero here."

Abbott, 38, and his brother, Vinnie Paul Abbott, 40, formed Damageplan after the breakup of Pantera -- a group they formed in the 1980s. Their father is Jerry Abbott, a country and western songwriter and producer.

Pantera's third release, "Far Beyond Driven," debuted at No. 1 in 1994. The band was nominated for Grammys in 1995 and 2001.

The band dissolved at the end of a tour last year -- amid much speculation on fan Web sites that the split was not amicable. The two brothers, however, played down any bitterness during an April 1 interview with CNN.

"It just kind of got narrow-minded, and we just wanted to bust it open a little bit more and just broaden it up, go for the Baskin-Robbins 31 flavors instead of the one, you know what I mean?" Darrell Abbott said.

Vinnie Paul Abbott said: "We had 13 years of really, really good success. And basically the singer wanted to move on, do some other things and really lost his focus."

At least 1 audience member among deaths

At least one of those killed Wednesday night -- Nathan Bray, 23 -- was a member of the audience. Mull identified another deceased victim as Erin Halk, 29, although it was unclear if he was a concertgoer or an employee.

Mull did not identify the remaining fatality. Abbott was the only band member confirmed dead "at this point," he said.

One of the wounded is in critical condition, the other hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Two others were hurt and treated at the scene, although the nature of their injuries was unclear.

Mull said homicide detectives are checking possible amateur video shot inside the club during the shooting but said they weren't sure if the footage would be useful.

Police roped off a huge area of the nightclub's parking lot as 60 detectives questioned hundreds of witnesses. Police brought in buses to keep the witnesses warm as they waited.

Witnesses described the gunman as a heavyset man, wearing a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey jersey.

Calvin Bota said he saw the shooting from the mosh pit in front of the stage shortly after the band began playing.

"Somebody came -- I don't know where they came from, out of the audience or whatnot -- but they come onto [the] stage and ... he shot the guitarist at first, fired a couple of other shots and then he hid behind the stage a little bit," Bota told CNN affiliate WSYX.

"Everybody started scattering, you know, there's mayhem everywhere. And then a police officer came into the building, you know, came in professional with his gun raised, and then he proceeded to shoot the guy."

Mull said Columbus police have responded to previous incidents at the club, including several he characterized as minor as well as a shooting in the parking lot. He said he was unaware of the club's security practices, except that it had no surveillance camera or metal detector.

"They are in charge of their own security inside," he said. "There are times they hire off-duty Columbus police for parking lot security -- we are prohibited by law from working inside a liquor establishment -- but last night there were none."

Goodbye Darrell. Millions of fans will miss you. It's a downright shame that your time had to come at the hands of some lunatic.

It's for reasons like this that I support firearm control.

The Paradox of The Millennium

My brain is a perplexing instrument. It is inherently playing tricks on me, causing me to think or feel one way or another. For example, a few short weeks ago, I was inspired and motivated to change to world. I was prepared to become an activist, rant, rave, and scream as loud as I could so I could instigate revolution. I was prepared to take a career in politics so that I could have the power to at least attempt to make social change for the better. That dream has since evaporated, though remnants of it still lurk in the web-infested catacombs of my mind.

Then recently I have been inspired by some interesting career news. All that has occupied my mind is what my musical career could develop into. Business is like a plant. If you pay attention to it, and take care of it on a daily basis, it could grow into something much bigger than you ever had room for. All I want to do now is pursue this endeavor.

The paradox arises in the fact that I have all this drive; passions you might call them. They infect my mind like a disease, taking over all thought processes. When I am this inspired, I often cannot think of anything else. I often don't sleep for days at a time, and food is just an afterthought. These projects, ideas and dreams I have are so ambitious that they become unattainable, or I lose interest in the process. They often lay dormant for months or years, and then re-kindle my interest. The cycle continues.

I have so many hobbies and interests, it boggles my mind that I have any time to pursue them to any degree. I change my interests as often as I change my underwear. How can I get good at anything, if I get bored and find a new interest in the course of 24 hours?

Speaking of which, I think it's about time to go back to school and get a Master's degree -- right after I tour North America in a rock band. And that's right after my successful political career as a Member of Parliament, and that's after my stint on Public Access television as an Oil Painter, painting pictures of "happy trees" between mountains and lakes. Oh yes, and that's after I make my acting debut on the local stage. And I can't forget, that's after I record and release my solo album -- where I have played every instrument on the record.

Welcome to my brain. I often wonder how I manage to not drive myself completely insane.

Have You Ever Had The Feeling That You Wanted To Go...

And then you had the feeling that you wanted to stay...

I have been doing a lot of soul-searching the last few days about my little business proposition (the one that I can't say much about at this time). I have also been soliciting the opinions of a few friends, family, business partners, etc. about what they think about the idea, and their opinions. The feedback has been rather mixed, which hasn't helped me come to a formidable conclusion. The decision I am faced with is a difficult one, though it has the potential to provide me with greener pastures, it also requires a leap of faith, and has the potential to backfire.

Backfire on many levels. It could cost me friends, clients, and business partners -- no matter which way I choose.

What I can tell you is that "it" has the potential to change the direction of my life, and career. "It" is also growing and changing shape before my eyes and could even develop into something bigger entirely. In one hand, I have the offer of something better than what I already have; in the other, I have the oyster. In my other hand, I have something that could be even bigger, and better for me physically, mentally and spiritually. But it is something that I will have to care for, nurture, and put all my efforts into for it to realize its' full potential.

In one hand, the money will come easy. In the other hand, hard times are ahead -- for at least a while. There are risks involved in everything we do. What I do know for sure, is that I cannot stay on the same path I have been on the last four years. To keep this up would shorten my lifespan significantly. I now realize that I will have to pursue what I love to do, instead of following the money trail. The money will be there; perhaps not in the volumes I had originally hoped. The money might also prove to be elusive for a number of years before paying off.

So once again, I am playing the waiting game; waiting for the other players in this elaborate chess game to make a move, before I can move another piece. I am in pursuit of freedom, and my last play has opened a number of moves that I had not thought possible.

Life is a game of Chess.

iTMS.ca

Only a few days ago, after much speculation and waiting, Apple has finally opened the iTunes Music Store in Canada. They are offering downloads at 99 cents Canadian, which makes it the best deal for downloading music from Apple worldwide.

I have not spent much time fiddling around with the iTMS. I went searching for some obscure music, and found little. I guess "obscure" is the key word here. When searching for music on the internet, I am usually searching for songs that I cannot otherwise find in music stores. At 99 cents per download, it is still cheaper for me to find music in pawn shops. Not only that, but then I have an uncompressed digital archive of all my music, which is something very important to an audiophile such as myself.

One thing that has bothered me about Apple's store is that the songs they are offering are encoded in the .m4a file format at 128 kbps. I have no problems with the MPEG-4 audio format; I think it is a superior audio codec (compared to mp3, wma, and similar ilk). My issues revolve around the bitrate. I find that the bitrate of 128 kbps is of poor-sound quality. I can identify the compression in such files, and not only do I find the sound annoying, it is also hard on the ears. I have been encoding all my music at 160kbps (.m4a format), which is comparable to mp3 files at 192kbps. At this bitrate, the audio quality is almost indistinguishable from the uncompressed original.

Even so, if you played your internet-obtained music on a high-end system, even at an encoding rate of 192kbps, you could still tell the difference between the audio file and the digital master. Apple has circumvented this problem by installing a "lossless audio codec" in the latest release of iTunes. This is a great feature for an audiophile, but the files are too large for anyone to put any substantial amount of music on their computer (or iPod for that matter). I would likely need a terabyte of storage on my computer before I would consider putting an uncompressed music library on my home computer.

The iTMS is still a powerful tool to search for music. You can preview music, so you could effectively find artists and music you would be interested in listening to. If you knew the title of a song, but not the artist, you could effectively search the archives and preview songs until you found the track you were searching for.

Unfortunately, most of the music provided on the iTMS is in the Top-40 category. Even Matthew Good stated on the opening day of the iTMS.ca that only two of his albums were featured in the store; his latest release was absent.

Perhaps things will improve in future months as tracks are added to the music store.

[Top Secret]

I have been given some very exciting news that is related to my musical career. In fact, it is some of the biggest news of my career. Unfortunately, I cannot comment about it until such time that the news becomes official. This will likely happen after Christmas. Until then, all you can do is speculate, and all I can do is keep my mouth shut.

Another Successful Gig Jam (aka "Serious Damage")

Yesterday, as soon as I got home from a long day at work, I got a call from SK, a local musician who happens to have a lot of gigs in town. He sounded rather panicked on the telephone. He was drafted to play a gig at a local watering hole at 9:00 that night. He received the call around 4:00, and he did not have a band. He called me in the off-chance that I was free and willing to make a few bucks. I accepted, and then he asked me if I knew any bass players who were available to play the gig that night.

I informed SK about AB, a gentleman I had been playing in the Grease Band. I knew he could handle the gig, and I really enjoyed playing with him. SK asked me to call AB and see if he wanted to play the show with us -- which was going to begin in about three hours.

So I give AB a call, preparing myself for rejection. I figured that given the short notice, AB might have made other plans, was not even in town, or not even interested in playing a gig without so much as a rehearsal. I breathed a sigh of relief when he was home.

It turned out he had already made plans for the night. I apologized to him and regretfully informed him that we needed a bass player for that evening's gig. His ears perked up. Immediately, AB was asking details about the gig. I told him it was a no-pressure gig, that many musical styles were going to be played, and the crowd didn't care whether we sounded good or not. Plus, it was a chance to make a hundred bucks for a couple hours' worth of work. AB said he'd drop his plans and play the gig with us. I was ecstatic.

AB is one of the guys I wanted to be in this three-piece power rock band that I have been daydreaming about the last week or so. I was secretly hoping that playing this gig with him might spark little more than an interest in my little idea. It would give him and I an opportunity to get to know one another's playing other than by playing Broadway Showtunes.

Don't get the impression that I am saying SK is not the guy for the band. I really have respect for SK, but he has many irons in the fire. He's playing with a ton of other guys in town, and he also runs a recording studio in town. He's already got a full plate when it comes to music. I'll do studio work for him, or fill-in for any other drummer who cannot make the gig, but I think at this time, if SK was the main guitar player for my new band, we'd be playing gigs few and far between due to his busy schedule. Admittedly, both AB and I agree that DS, the lead guitar player for the Grease band is the guy we want to make music with anyway, which we have already discussed the possibility with him. He was also quite receptive to the idea.

The half-hour prior to playing the first set, I could tell that AB was getting a little worried about playing this gig without any knowledge of the songs. SK and I walked him through a few riffs and songs to boost his confidence level, but I knew that the only way he was going to get over this hurdle was by playing the songs and going for broke. Time had run out anyway; it was do or die.

We sounded like a band from the first song. There was a great blend of instruments from the stage right from the beginning, and I knew AB would lock into my playing and create a tight groove. There were some great musical moments during the show -- those moments of musical creativity where there is ESP between the band members, and moments of sheer musical genius that sends shivers up and down your spine. That's what playing the gig was like. I couldn't imagine what this band would have sounded like if we had rehearsed!

We took a break, and SK left the table to visit a few of his buddies that were hanging around the club. This gave AB and I an opportunity to chat, and I wanted to get his feel for what he thought of the gig. As I had hoped, playing this gig with him turned a spark into a burning inferno. He stated that putting a band together with us and DS (and have a few rehearsals) would create an act that would do some "serious damage" around the local bar scene. I completely agreed with his statement. I was quite happy to hear that he was enjoying himself despite the fact that he had never played with SK before.

It was another successful gig. Sure, it sounded rough in places, but the crowd was rowdy, and they were into anything and everything we were doing. All our songs turned into long-jams, complete with extended guitar solos, and a few drum solos. We got many compliments from the patrons that we were an "awesome band", if they only knew that we hadn't a clue what we were doing.

The night ended with getting paid, and pleasantries being exchanged between the bandmates. AB was overjoyed that he had a chance to make music with me again. SK thanked AB and myself for bailing him out of a sticky situation, and I thanked both of them for having the opportunity to play with them again. It only came to my realization today that this might be the only time that the three of us will play a gig together. The people that were at the show likely didn't realize that they were there for a few hours of intense musical magic.

I went to sleep last night excited about the performance and the ever-increasing possibility of playing gigs with these guys again. I believe that it is a definitive possibility that DS, AB and I will put together our power-rock band and cause some serious damage.

Purge

I have just deleted numerous links on the sidebar. I had originally posted the links as they had appeared in past entries. I felt they were not representative of my personality or interests, so they are gone. You probably won't miss them anyway.

No Fire From Above

Ever wonder why the United States of America has been so adamant about getting Canada to fund their new Star Wars program? I have a theory.

For the uninitiated, this is a reborn attempt to put satellites into orbit with powerful lasers on them to neutralize an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) before it can reach its' target. Knowing the success rate of the US Patriot Missile (which was used in the Iraq wars to neutralize SCUD missiles), this makes me quite leery.

Studies have shown that Patriot missile system often did not neutralize the intercepted missile. They often missed completely, or at best, managed to knock the missile out of the sky. The intended target might have been missed, but then a live warhead fell to the ground, often striking a civilian target.

What does this have to do with the Missile Defense Program? Well, just about everything. You see, there is no such thing as 100% effectiveness when you are dealing with objects in motion, and targets that are thousands of kilometers away.

My next point is also crucial. If a nuclear assault were to be launched on the United States of America, the missile trajectory would almost certainly be across the north pole. If a missile defense satellite fired at such a missile, and only managed to knock it out of the sky, instead of neutralizing it entirely, where to you think the missile would fall? Surely, on Canadian soil. Sure the USA might escape a nuclear assault, but that doesn't prevent Canada from becoming the next Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

I do not want to be a target. Say no to missile defense.

Last Grease(y) Post

Last night was the final banquet for the production of Grease. About three-quarters of the cast and crew attended. The party was a little bittersweet, but at least there were no tears.

The president of the theater production company said a speech around dinnertime, thanked us for all our hard work and informed us that out of 44 Musical Theatre productions, ours was the most successful in history. The play not only sold-out, it sold out in seven days at 104% capacity. This production has raised the bar in standards of quality of entertainment at the local level. Of course, we were all gloating.

It may be the end of the show, but that doesn't mean that it will be the end of friendships. I know I will lose touch with many of them, unless we all coincidentally get cast in a future production. There are some friendships that I gained that will continue, and some that may develop into future business ventures.

I am specifically referring to a few of the members of the band. Some of us have enjoyed each others' playing to a degree where we feel that it might be advantageous for us to form a cover band. I brought up the idea to one of the guitar players and the bass player of the Grease band what they thought of this idea. They were both very receptive to the idea of forming a three-piece power rock band to make a few bucks on the side.

I have been getting the itch to play gigs again, and I have been biding my time to find the right guys to get back in the local music scene. My vision for this venture is little more than playing a few pubs around town. I am not thinking about writing songs, recording an album, going on tour, or the pursuit of stardom to any degree. I just want to have fun, and sing a bunch of songs for the local party animals.

I am excited about this little endeavor. I am already thinking about what kind of songs I'd like to learn. Yours truly will likely be doing a lot of lead singing -- something I am really excited about.

If I hear from the guys this week, than perhaps this little vision of mine might become a reality. I will keep you all posted about this little endeavor. Of course, if you have any song suggestions, by all means, drop me a line.

Sometimes the Best Solution is to Use What's Available to You

I shouldn't have to explain to you how much I enjoy my new computer. There is one major problem it has (actually all computers fall into this category), which is inferior sound.

I am a self-admitted audiophile. I like my music crisp, clean, and detailed. I on occasion, like it loud. My new iMac has these tiny little speakers built into the display, but they sure don't put out any volume, nor is the fidelity exceptional. Sure, there is lots of treble, but no bass.

So I was considering investing a lot of money into multimedia speakers for my computer. It has a digital output, so I should be able to run my computer using Dolby Digital 5.1. While doing numerous searches on the web, I just couldn't find any products that were going to satisfy my needs. It wasn't a money issue; I was quite prepared to spend a hefty sum for my ear-candy.

There was one other issue that was eating at me. Many of these 5-speaker (or 6-speaker) systems designed for computers use inferior products. Again, I did not want to front the money for a system I would be unhappy with in the future.

Furthermore, in the near future, I want to be able to do digital recording on my new machine. Mixing an album on little satellite speakers is no way to record. Again, I am faced with having to purchase expensive studio monitors for my workstation. The speakers I am specifically referring to (Mackie HR 824s) run about $2000 per pair.

I wanted to listen to my iTunes the way there were supposed to be listened to -- and I could not wait any longer. I managed to find the solution to my problem with items already in my possession.

A few months ago, while frequenting a few of my favorite pawn shops, I found a pair of Bose 201 bookshelf speakers for about $100. They are high-quality speakers, and studio monitors are similarly designed. In recent months, I haven't been using my fancy speakers. So today, I bought some monster cable, put my Bose speakers on my computer desk, and wired everything into an amplifier. Now I am in musical bliss. The sound quality is exceptional; better than any cheap multimedia speaker system could offer.

The next step will be in invest a few bucks into either an MBox or the Digi 002, both manufactured by Digidesign. Then, I will have my happy little recording studio.

Music School Dropout

Friday night was the second-last performance of Grease. After the show, the cast, band and crew retreated to the Green Room for copious amounts of alcohol, and a special event called "skit night".

Skit night is an opportunity for members of the cast and crew to poke a little fun at themselves. It was a great way for us to unwind and have a few good laughs. There was also special thank-yous and awards given out to a few special people who put in an exceptional amount of heart, dedication and time to make Grease such a success. Yours truly even got a special gift: A T-shirt with the Grease logo on it, signed by the directors and all the members of the cast. I nearly cried.

The band members were a little sluggish in putting together a skit. It seemed that they were more interested in conjuring up some pranks to be delivered on the evening of the final performance. One of the saxophone players suggested we could do a parody of Beauty School Dropout -- aptly entitled Music School Dropout. Some members pondered the possibility of doing such a performance on skit night, but little action was taken.

I ended up spending one late night working on my own rendition of Music School Dropout. Time constraints prevented me from producing a fully workable piece of literature, but it was enough to show the guys in the band the next night. They loved it.

To just sing a song is a bit of a half-baked performance of a skit. We needed a gimmick that would make the performance memorable. The other sax player appeared Friday night with some costumes. We quickly changed prior to our performance. The guys were wearing horrific dresses that even Dame Edna would not be caught dead wearing. They also sported jester hats complete with jingles. They looked terrible, but my costume was worse.

Spandex. About three sizes too small. It was a one-piece body suit that looked like fifteen turkeys had to be destroyed to make it. I looked like an acrobat who had no idea what color-coordination was. The suit was so tight that it left nothing to the imagination; my twig and two berries could be easily identified -- from across the room.

We sought refuge backstage for a few moments before making our entrance to the green room. While ducking behind stacked chairs, old props, music stands and scrap pieces of wood, the performers found some props -- paint rollers. I have no idea why they chose those items over anything else, but at this point I was more worried if Mr. Happy was going to make a surprise appearance while I was in front of everyone singing this little number.

Upon entering the green room, we were met by laughter of unsurpassed volume. They were of course, laughing at our outrageous costumes. I climbed the makeshift stage, and explained that we (the band) were jealous that they (the cast) got to do all the singing, and we did not. So, this was the band's turn to sing a little number. The lyrics are displayed below:

Music School Dropout
(To be sung to the tune: Beauty School Dropout)

Your story's sad to tell,
A talent ne'er do well,
Most messed-up alcoholic at the bar!
Your vision's so unclear now,
You're even out of beer now,
Can't even get a trade-in on your guitar!

Music school dropout,
No gold record here for thee,
Music school dropout,
Missed your scales and flunked harmony!
Well at least you could have taken time, to wash and clean
your clothes up,
After spending all that dough to have the cocaine burn your nose up!

Baby get grooving,
Why keep your feeble hopes alive?
Where are your groupies?
You've got the dream but not the drive.

If you go for your diploma, you could join a Broadway show.
Turn down your guitar amp and go back to rock school!

Music school dropout,
Hanging around the music store.
Music school dropout,
It's about time you wrote a score.

Well they couldn't teach you anything,
You think you're such a looker,
But now you're poor as dirt and you can't afford a hooker!

Buddy don't sweat it,
No musician can hold a job.
Better forget it,
Even your girlfriend thinks you're a slob!

Now your guitar is tuned, your band is swooned, the
world is yours to rule,
Wipe off that distressed face and go back to rock school!

Buddy you blew it,
You put my good advice to shame.
Buddy you knew it,
Kalan Porter would say the same!

Now I've drank my shot; I've smoked my pot, and now I'm really high,
Gonna be singing: 'scuse me while I kiss the sky!

Not just laughter; mass hysteria. My backup singers were "painting" my body with the paint rollers amidst my performance. Every line I sang erupted in ear-shattering laughter, hoots, hollers, and whistles. People were wiping tears from their eyes from laughing so hard. And all I could think of (besides my manhood) was how I didn't think my song parody deserved the response it received.

After the performance and the standing ovation, we quickly retired to the dressing room to put on some less-flattering clothing.

Oh yes, there were numbers camera bulb flashes during the performance. I fully expect that these pictures of me will wind up on the web sooner or later.

It's Over...

Last night was the last performance of Grease. The experience was beyond my expectations and dreams. The show became something bigger than I had expected -- and certainly bigger than the patrons expected.

Realizing the show is now over, the depression is starting to sink in. I was blown away with the camaraderie expressed by all members of the cast, band, backstage crews and directors. We became a family, and I grew to love them all. In a way, I feel like I have lost them. In a sense, that is not the least bit true.

There is a final banquet for the cast and crew next weekend. Everyone in the cast and crew has been saying they will be there. Even though it's less than a week away, it's going to feel like I haven't seen them in years. That will be a tough night, as that is the "real" goodbye party.

I know there will be other shows. There will parties, reunions and other similar ilk, so I will see most of them again. But this the last time we all will be together at the same time. And there is no show quite like this one.

It's been an incredible ride.

Cluttered Thoughts From A Sleep-Deprived Mind

[ed note: I have been quite unhappy with this post in the past days. I have noticed numerous grammatical errors, and I have taken the time to edit this post to a point where I feel I am communicating my ideas a little more effectively.]

It has been many days since I have written a post. The musical Grease is in full swing, and we have performed half of our sold-out shows. This is making it for a very sleepless week. I was not so lucky to get any time off work (I didn't expect I would get any anyway), so it is pedal to the metal for another five days or so.

I have to be at the theater two hours early to get into my costume, makeup, hair, and warm-up my cold hands. The performance is nearly two and a half hours long. There is a period of time of at least a half-hour that it takes for me to change out of my costume and chisel all the makeup off my face after the show. There are after-show parties ("Green Rooms" we call them) that I like to partake in, but as of late I find myself sucking back one drink in about fifteen minutes and then heading home to crash. Put all these things together, and it makes for a very long night. It's like running a marathon every day. The effects of all this energy exertion is beginning to take the toll on the cast.

The show is a runaway success. There are close to no bumps in the show at all by this point. It is very smooth, polished, and professional. Even I am amazed at the size and scope of this show, as well as the attention to detail. The costumes are authentic; the punch lines are well-timed, the music is tight, and the props are, well, authentic. They even have a classic convertible car and two classic motorcycles on the set.

I have taken a number of photos, and I will post them once I have access to a scanner. Many of the shots were so large, I had to take multiple photographs. This means I will have to make composite images using an image editing program. I imagine the Gimp will do a fine job.

November is National Writing Month. I wish I wasn't so busy, then I could dedicate some of my time to some creative writing. I wanted to post some snippets of prose on here to see what you all thought. After Grease has finished, I may have the chance to do some writing. What samples I choose to publish on here will mostly be quickly-written, half-baked ideas. I suppose that what I might write on here will not be more than a few hundred words at a time.

I thought I might take the opportunity to tell you a little bit about someone I have known for about seven years. She also happens to be the most strong-willed, sexiest, beautiful woman I know. Her name is Nina Bennett. She also doesn't exist.

You see, I created her. She was meant to be the protagonist in a novel I began writing in 1997. She's a complicated character; just as we are complicated people. As much as I know about her, a lot remains a mystery.

Nina [pronounced Nine-ah] has many admirable qualities to her. She is smart, independent, attractive, witty, and moral. She is a bit of an activist, and feels that she has the power to change the world for the better. Conversely, Nina also has many equal negative qualities. For example, she is a chain smoker and an alcoholic. She's non-committal, especially where relationships are concerned. I really don't know the details of why, but she's never been in any relationship with any man for any substantial length of time. It is likely that she's been in bad relationships in the past, but then, she has never told me.

Nina is the kind of girl that you dream of. She's tall, thin and curvy; the air is a bit sweeter when she walks past. Her hair is straight yet full, dark and shoulder length. She dresses professionally, and shows as little skin as she needs to. In fact, she doesn't need to wear tight or suggestive clothing to attract a member of the opposite sex. The way she carries herself is attractive enough.

Nina is intelligent, and is well-versed in the dating game. She knows being an attractive woman has its perks, and she uses them to her advantage. Conversely, Nina hates being a fox in a room full of hounds; she can't stand the chase. She is the hunter; the Black Widow. Any man that has ever come on to her has been shot down. She's not just playing hard to get; she would rather be perceived as impossible to get. This of course, is the source of a great deal of anguish and frustration with her male counterparts, as the only thing men want more than anything in the world is the one thing they can't have. These men are the ones who get off easy; those who have been subjected to her kiss fare far worse.

Nina is the kind of person who knows what (and who) she wants. She chooses her mates, just as she chooses the direction of her career. She chooses her "boy-toys" for mild amusement, often for the moment. They are often discarded for frivolous reasons. Some men have been so swooned by her that they immediately wanted some sort of long-term commitment from her -- something she was unwilling to give up, as her freedom is Nina's most precious possession.

The most important thing in Nina's life is her career. She learned early on in her life that there would be no guarantee that someone would be around to provide for her. She has never told me why, but I have reason to believe she has little or no family. She went to University and got a degree in journalism, where she eventually landed a career as a reporter for a major newspaper. She makes a decent living wage, though she often writes into the late hours of the night at home. Being a reporter also allows her to get herself into a bit of trouble. Not unlike Lois Lane, except that Nina does not have her Superman to bail her out of otherwise compromising situations.

Being a reporter, Nina has a moral conscience about her. She is often depressed about the social injustices she often has to report. This could contribute to her alcoholism, though sometimes she feels empowered, and if she rants and raves long enough, and if she screams loud enough, that she might reach enough people to instigate social reform. Nina wishes the world was a better place, and she believes that she has the job, the means, and the ability to do so. I admire her in that respect.

I think of Nina often. I wonder what she's up to, and what she might do if she were in my shoes. She sometimes talks to me in dreams, her personality unlike mine, yet very much a part of me.

Funny. All that being said, I could never spend my life with such a person.

Awakening

Screw Lucas; screw Spielberg. Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 is the single most important film ever made in motion picture history. Period. I give all credit to Moore for having the cajones to undertake such a risky endeavor.

I know I'm late in reporting such news. This movie has been out for months, and I haven't been able to muster the time to watch it. My excuses are that I'm cheap and lazy.

Frequent readers will know that I have been reading a lot of material that is changing the way I think and feel about my life. The time is near, where I will have to change my life -- and change the world.

Now, watch this drive.

Yet Another Karaoke Bar

On my way to work a few weeks ago, I noticed a sign in front of Orleans North that they would be having Karaoke every Friday night. This is obviously a ploy to drive more patrons to the bar. In the last ten years, this bar has undergone numerous name changes, and despite its fair size, cleanliness, and classy decor, it can't seem to develop a patronage of any sorts.

I actually wanted to check out this Karaoke evening a few weeks ago, but I have been ill with this nasty cold, and my voice has been shot. I am still coughing a bit, and my voice is still not 100 percent, but I thought I was well enough to check it out.

We made it to Orleans North shortly after 10:00pm. My predictions were correct; the place was empty. There were a couple people singing -- no more than three; the pool tables were vacant, and the only area that was busy was the Video Lottery Terminal area. Not one of the dozen or so machines were vacant. This would explain how Orleans North manages to stay open despite having an empty club. I needn't say that the VLT patrons were the least bit interested in anything else that was happening around the bar. A bomb could have gone off in the parking lot, and those gamblers would still be plugging quarters into those machines.

My thoughts about gambling (and problem gamblers) will have to wait until another post.

Getting up to sing a song here was no problem at all. In two hours, I managed to sing about a dozen songs, as the "competition" wasn't terribly fierce. The DJ called me up to sing my first song about 30 seconds after I submitted my first request -- Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride. I figured that I should still stick to some easy songs to get a feel for how my voice is healing. My voice was still quite shot at the previous night's Grease rehearsal.

Once I got used to the Karaoke system (and their hot microphones), I nailed the song. I kindly thanked the "crowd" -- the two or three people clapping, and the DJ then said something about me "making it to the finals".

Apparently in December, they want to have a "finals" competition with all the best karaoke singers who manage to wander into Orleans North -- complete with cash prizes for the top three contestants. I wonder what kind of competition this is going to be, given the low attendance. How will they choose a winner? I was snickering under my breath at the fact at how easy it was "making it to the finals".

This young girl sitting in the front promptly asked me if I could sing duets. She was specifically referring to Grease's Summer Nights. The question was of course, serendipitous given the fact that I will be starring in the play next week. I accepted her offer, and we were singing the duet in about fifteen minutes.

I did sing a bunch of my old "tried & true" numbers over the course of the evening. It has been years, but I sang Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama, as it's bloody easy, and I don't have to read the lyrics, as I sang this song three thousand times during my tenure in Legacy. I tried a few numbers that I have been itching to sing, but either the songs weren't available in the Karaoke database, or I was too chicken to try singing them in front of a large crowd. Example, to get up and sing Prince is a risky operation in Redneck Central. I gave When Doves Cry a shot. Though the song is not terribly high pitch-wise, it is much tougher to capture the nuances. The song that I was most pleased with my performance was Cheap Trick's Surrender -- those who know me also know how much I like the song.

My overall thoughts regarding Orleans North is mixed. I like the fact that I don't have to wait long, and I can sing as many songs as I please. On the other hand, I do miss the fan appreciation. I have spent so many nights playing and singing in dead clubs that it can get depressing. It plays mind-games on you. You start thinking that people don't like your music; or that people are ignorant and don't care for live entertainment anymore.

I may attend these rumored karaoke "finals" if my time permits it. I gave it a bit of thought this morning, and if I happen to win a cash prize, I will donate the winnings to the local food bank.

You Gotta Read This

If you have a few minutes, I highly suggest you read this entry by Matthew Good. It might just get your blood boiling.

What? The Land of the Free? Whoever told you that is your enemy.

"Know Your Enemy" -- Rage Against The Machine

Sold-Out!

It has been brought to my attention at last night's Grease Rehearsal that all 5000 tickets to the musical Grease have been sold in one week. It has been the fastest-selling play in the history of Medicine Hat Musical Theater. My apologies are going to those who haven't managed to get tickets. I have been secretly hoping that the show will be held-over for additional performances, but that doesn't seem like the possibility will come to fruition. If I manage to get reviews or photographs, I will be sure to publish them on this blog for your viewing.

We (the Grease cast and crew) move into the theatre tomorrow, where we will be putting the final touches on the performance. It is coming together quite nicely. I can't wait to see the set tomorrow; I have been told that the set and the stage is just breathtaking!

May The World Survive [Another] Four Years

Four years ago, in my final year of university, my friends and I were discussing the 2000 US Presidential Election Campaign over many weeks. Our many discussions focused on who was the better candidate for the Presidency, though we agreed there wasn't much to choose from. Al Gore or George W. Bush; who is the lesser of two evils?

Our observations of "Dubya" concluded that this man was a ticking time-bomb, much like his father, but even more volatile. We knew, if elected, this man would send the United States to war. We even figured that this man was maniacal enough to "push the button" himself. Even though we were not US citizens, we were sure that if elected, Dubya's actions would affect us north of the 49th parallel.

On the eve of the 2000 presidential election, we prayed long and hard that Al Gore would be elected president. Sure, Gore wasn't much of a candidate, but we felt that he would be a safer choice for the world community. You could imagine our dismay when we learned that the George Jr. called a re-count of the ballots in Florida, and found his way into the Oval Office. We immediately began repenting our sins.

I knew, as many others did, that all George W. Bush needed was an excuse to turn some foreign country into a moonscape. It didn't take long. When I woke to the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, I was convinced that World War III had begun, and Armageddon was nigh.

It didn't take long to see that the President, as well as the citizens of the United States were seeking revenge for the attack on US soil. A scapegoat was sought, and when none could be found (or evidence eradicating any reasonable doubt), Dubya took the next best thing. Afghanistan was invaded on a whim, because "The United States makes no distinction between terrorists, and the countries that harbor them". As we have seen, the war in Afghanistan was not much of a victory on the War on Terror. Al Qaida was not dismantled; nor was Osama Bin Laden captured.

Then there was the Patriot Act, intentionally ratified to provide protection/safety to the citizens of the United States, but it was nothing more than a bill to take away the human rights of the peoples of Islamic faith/descent. Pure racism. This legislation somehow makes it legal to arrest and detain anyone the government sees fit, and deny them access to a lawyer, among other things. These prisoners [arrested under the Patriot Act] may have well been arrested in Syria.

Then there was the invasion of Iraq, against the objections of the United Nations. The Iraq war was called an unjust war, as no evidence of Weapons of Mass Destruction were ever produced. Saddam Hussein may have been captured, but this has done little to quell the political unrest in the country. The United States military is targeted and attacked on what seems like a daily basis. It appears that the US occupation of Iraq is going to be a long and bloody one.

It is no wonder that international polls have cited George W. Bush as the number one contributor to geo-political instability, and the leading hindrance in the pursuit of world peace.

Now, the US occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq is nothing more than Neo-Colonialism. This is a rather long topic, and I will have to reserve my discussion of it for a later entry, but this is no different than the occupation of the Americas by European Empires, and the systematic destruction of the Aboriginal American culture and peoples. It seems apparent that we (as a species) have not learned our lessons the first time around.

It seems apparent that George W. Bush has done little in the way of US foreign policy. After Mad Cow Disease was discovered in a single Canadian bovine, the United States border has remained closed to Canadian beef for eighteen months now -- with no sign of it re-opening soon. Bush has made no effort to establish negotiations with Canada to re-open the border.

As for the US domestic policy, Bush has done little in the last four years. The US economy is still in the tank, and the only thing the president has done is cut taxes for the wealthy and rack up a record-breaking deficit.

The 2004 election was the time for the civilians of the United States to raise their voices and elect a leader. John Kerry ran a good campaign, but in the end the outcome was the same as 2000. George W. Bush has squeaked into the Oval Office for four more years -- much to the chagrin of the international community.

I understand George Bush Jr. has a certain type of appeal to many citizens of the United States -- actually, it is more like the "Divided States of America". If you looked at a demographic map of the United States, you would see the two coastlines are Democratic; while a large red (Republican) rift ploughs through the central plains and the southern states. Knowing a bit about population density would make it easy to see that the areas of highest population density are polarized to the Democrat ideology, while the areas of lower population density are polarized to the Republican ideology. There are many other conclusions that could be made about voter ideology and demographics, but without access to a powerful GIS program and the raw data of the election results, I really don't want to make arguments I cannot substantially defend (I probably already have).

The re-election of George W. Bush is, in my opinion, bittersweet. I was rooting for John Kerry; crossing my fingers for a change in leadership, and perhaps a change in the domestic and foreign policies of the United States government. It looks like I am going to have to wait another four years -- if we are still around by then.

Long-time readers of this journal know that I am a bit of a history fanatic -- especially when it pertains to ancient civilzations. I am a firm believer that the past is the key to the future. The industrialized nations we live in today are not that much different than the Empires of times past. All the greatest dynasties have fallen, and they usually fell at times when they were in the lap of luxury. In my lifetime, I have witnessed the demise of the Soviet Union. In the last few centuries, the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire had fallen. Even Greece, Rome, Babylon, and the Egyptian dynasties have met untimely deaths.

If we examine the demise of the Roman Empire, it wasn't as catastrophic as historians make it out to be. The Roman Empire had conquered most of the known world, and Rome's armies were spread thin throughout Europe, parts of Asia, the Middle East and some of Africa. The Romans lived luxurious lives full of Gladiator games, concubines, and excessive food and drink. A full third of the Roman calendar were holidays. Soon, trade began to slow due to diminishing resources and great distances. It took a number of generations, but eventually, the Roman Empire was financially bankrupt. Without the financial backing, the Roman armies did not march. Trade between the colonies of the Empire soon halted. The once-powerful Roman Empire essentially died with but a whimper.

The debt load of the average American citizen is higher than it has ever been before. Each year there is a record number of personal and corporate bankruptcies in the US. Citizens are stretched to the limit financially, and they are further encouraged to spend more due to falling interest rates, and mass advertising. The US government's track record is not much better than the publics'. The Bush Administration has racked up the highest debt-load in history. I think it is quite possible that Dubya himself could outspend the United States so fast that it would be impossible for the United States to ever recover. Thus, much like the Roman Empire, the United States could collapse under their own debt. With no money, the US war machine would be rendered impotent, and a once-powerful nation could develop into one of the world's poorest. Civil war would be likely, and the USA could break into two (or more) nations.

First lesson in economics: There might not a better way to jump-start a dead economy than with a war, but wars are incredibly expensive. The costs of the war on Iraq and Afghanistan have far outweighed the economic benfits (if there were any).

Perhaps I am looking forward to seeing Mr. Bush's accomplishments in the next four years. It may have taken generations for Rome to fall; George W. Bush might be able to accomplish the same in eight years or less. Maybe I will get my wish for an upset in the balance of (world) power.