Saturday, November 26, 2016

Show # 237

Hello Friends of the Garden!

Amazing fun, writing in the rain! This Saturday morning finds me on my deck at my fortress of solitude at the coast. The rain is coming down steadily and it is such a cool feeling to witness. I've got my umbrella out and I'm not certain if it knows that this was it's original purpose! Sure over time it probably realized it wasn't going see a lot of action in the rain department however, it found another invaluable purpose in protecting it's user from the sun! 

I perfected rock skipping on these creeks!
When I was kid it was like being incarcerated when it rained. I spent very little time doing anything indoors as a child. The rain spattered window that I stared out of on those rainy days might as well of been prison bars! Throwing dirt clods, riding my bike, catching crawdads, building tree houses and walking endless miles of white limestone creek beds was how I would spend most of my entire day. I was no where to be found on most days. All I had to do was check in by dark and it was all good!

Those carefree days seem so far away in comparison to what Thanksgiving week has become. We host Thanksgiving at our house every year. That means taking time to clean house and do the cooking and endless little unforeseen tasks! Everything seems so rushed and multitasking is a necessary skill to complete the job! 

Painted in to a corner like
some kind of politician!
Another Thanksgiving routine is to head over to the coast immediately after the last of the leftovers are shipped off with satisfied family. Sometimes, but not always, there is no agenda at the coast, just to decompress and regroup. Sometimes there are chores that need addressing. This Thanksgiving the coming rains provided another opportunity for reviving that long standing battle with my leaky roof.

Me!
Friday morning I awoke to a beautifully sunny day at the coast. I had to forego my usual sea glass hunt to work on my roof. Most of my friends are aware and even envious of my knack for being handy. My roof has proven to be that one area of prowess that lies unaffected by all my best efforts. This is not the first time I've realized my limitations. In fact I've learned more and more about my limitations as I've gotten older.

I got as much done as I could. I worked until it got dark and checked the weather reports to see how much time there was until the rain would start. Now it's wait and see. This makes me think of playing street football back in Texas with my buddies. Whenever traffic would come through it was "game off" until it cleared and then it was "game on"! The steady rain has called "game off" for the time being and now it's redirecting my mind to focus in other areas that are relegated to indoor activities.

I was getting ready to write on the deck, under the umbrella and enjoy the miracle of rain! While setting up to write this morning I saw that Fidel Castro had died. I can't say that I was sad or happy. My ambivalence toward Castro is natural I think. Nothing he did truly affected me. 

Grumpy old Clint!
To me he was like that grumpy neighbor that when your ball went in to his backyard you just went and got another ball. After time you conditioned yourself to not even step on his lawn. Everyone in the neighborhood knows he's there, with a cool vintage car in his garage like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino but, everyone acts as if he's not there. 

Looks like Liam Neeson kind of huh?
This gray day and the gentle percussion of the rain on the umbrella have induced a contemplative almost hypnotic state of mind this morning. I wonder, as Castro took his last breath, what he would miss the most or what he wished had been different? Was he proud of what and how he left his mark on the world? Did he mellow? I have to imagine that with all that power, to have left the world without some lasting legacy of how I made the world a better place, would be disappointing!

Like that grumpy neighbor, Castro was no different than the Amish to me. No offense intended toward the Amish. I know as much about the Amish as I do Castro. I don't have enough real information about either to have a well formed opinion. Of course I'm not comparing Cuba and the Amish from a human rights aspect but more an analysis of their secular ways. 

The Amish could seek to show the world that industrious, peaceful living is a more sustainable existence, yet they cloister themselves and remain cultish. The Amish have no affect on me either! Like Cuban cigarsfurniture is about the only thing I feel the Amish have to hang their reputations on. Liking Cuban cigars hasn't made me want to be Cuban any more than admiring Amish furniture has made me want to be Amish! 

Whiskey, beer and Tim Horton's!
I was reading lately about the security of our northern border with Canada. Apparently it is the longest international border in the world. With all the attention given to the Mexican border the Canadian border is starting to see more traffic. Surely after the completion of the US/Mexico wall consideration must be given to the inevitable building of the US/Canada wall.

Like human ants!
If it were me, I would commission the Amish to build that wall. They know a lot about separation and are skilled craftsmen! It would be a lasting legacy for the Amish and give them that sense of patriotism they seem to lack! I suppose it would be more a fence really, seeing how they primarily deal with wood. Yes that's it! A US/Canadian fence sounds perfect!

On to Show# 237! This show has new stuff from Luther Dickinson, The California Honeydrops, and Alejandro Escovedo. First Timers include Darden Smith and Brothers Osborne as a request. I had several things floating around when I put this together. I just had fun doing it! Overall I'd say this show is mostly laid back. It lets loose with a handful of tunes but not much. Chill, like sitting under an umbrella and enjoying the rain!

Thanks Robin and Jerry! Especially Robin this time as Thanksgiving duties were primary this week! See you soon Jerry!

I hope all of you listeners had a great Thanksgiving and thanks so much for listening to the show!

Peace and love,

Mike

Last minute update: I ended up getting a tarp and throwing it over the roof! Mike - 0, Roof - undefeated! Next time!

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Show #236

Hello Friends of the Garden!

Desperados waiting for a brain!
First off I want to express my best wishes for my dear friend Don, "The Hound Dog", as he recovers from a surgery that fortunately went well. He has become an amazing friend, and a true inspiration to me! Even in retirement Don is a busy guy! There are many attributes that Don has that I aspire to have in my life too! His joy of life, his commitment to family, his generosity, his creativity are all things that are a gift to witness! I am continually amazed by my good fortune of having people like Don sprinkled all through my life! 

How I see myself most times when
I hang out with my talented friends!
I'll admit it, I can be zealous at times! You hang around people like Don and his friends and you're going to be susceptible to their ability to express themselves. I wish I had half the talent of my friends, seriously, it seems everyone I know has some enviable skill! I'm so happy that even at this later stage of my life I've had a chance to feel that feeling a little! I'm so honored that "The Hound Dog" asked me to host his show this weekend. I'm sure it's no big deal to him but to me, are you kidding? I'm pulling out all the stops people!

My Mom with her new coffee
table. We listened to my show
that night
Don was a major influence in our Rogue Festival show a couple of years ago. My mother always wanted me to do something creative. I wish she could have seen that show, but I'll never forget listening to my recorded Christmas show with my Mom back in Texas. I knew I'd be there so I gave a shout out to us! We laughed, and a sweet memory that would have never happened without Don! And as to that Rogue show, well here we come again folks! Like I said a few blogs back, I have some awesome coaches! You'd be proud Mom!

So, get well soon Don! Looking forward to seeing you!

Ok, on to Show #236! I had a start on this before I knew I would cover the "Blues Buffet Show" and I had a Soul/R&B vibe going through me. The first set isn't so much Soul/R&B but it does feature two new artists Kurt Baker Combo and Amanda Fish Band. After that it slides into it! I'm looking forward to the Tower of Power tune! The 1st hour ends with a set of recently lost artists. You won't hear this Leon Russell tune on any commercial radio! The 2nd hour is, I don't know, just me heading off in weird directions. Pretty much easy going, fun feeling music would describe the rest!

Thank you Jerry and Robin! It's gonna be a hoot to double up this weekend! Thanks for having my back guys!

Thanks to you listeners! Please share my show or email with your friends that you think would enjoy this! And thank you for ANY communication you have with me! I love doing this still and you only inspire me more with each bit of input!

Peace and love,

Mike

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Show #235

Hello Friends of the Garden!
The sequel to Dianetics!

Finally the election is over! There's one small thing we can all think about this Thanksgiving Day! I wonder if the "founding" Pilgrims knew that Thanksgiving would come shortly after elections in their country to be? Clearly, this is evidence of the intelligent design and superior intellect of the "founding" Pilgrims! Anticipating that eventually a process would be put in to place that would have us intentionally align ourselves in distinct groups diametrically opposed to each other; we would need a time immediately after so we can put aside our differences.
They put the Native Americans
at the "kids" table!

Growing up, I had the image of a big table with Native Americans and white people in funny hats ingrained by primary teachers when I learned about Thanksgiving. It was always portrayed as a time of generosity and peace. Now I wonder if the two distinctly different groups could conceive of what the future held for each of their people?
Choctaw Casino, home of
Choctaw Bingo!

My mind conjures up the dark side of the mental conversations that would go on. The Pilgrims: 'Eventually we will move you out by any means necessary but we will give you a portion of our legalized gambling in consolation for your loss and as a way for us to feel better about how we have taken advantage of you!' The Native Americans: 'Feels good to help these people out. Obviously they don't know how to survive here very well. We could show them a few of our planting tips. They are sharing what little they have with us so, they seem nice, maybe they'll make it. Weird hats!'

The "founding" Pilgrims and the Native Americans didn't realize to give thanks for not knowing the extent of what future interactions between their peoples would be like. I'm struck to find examples of the benevolence of the powerful that did not come with strings attached. History provides us with examples like Morgan, Rockefeller, Carnegie and Vanderbilt that amassed great fortune and turned to philanthropy to redistribute that wealth in their own specific interests. New challenges must be necessary when the acquiring wealth and power becomes too simple of a task!
Little things will bug you!

In Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1901, a company began to market modern toilet paper as a sanitary tissue. The processing of the materials that were used to produce that initial  product had glaring issues with their tissues. Apparently, the crude system allowed wood chips to be embedded in the paper, ow! Thirty-three years later, toilet paper would be officially marketed as "splinter free"! 

Looks like urban and rural
America are not on the
same page. 
I'd say we have still some "splinters" to work out in the way we work as a nation. We didn't give up on toilet paper! We kept on working on it until we refined it enough to be acceptable to the general populous. What we have here in our nation is worth working on! Like toilet paper, it's a good idea! Let's make it better! Maybe we can start with working on unity as we have found it a simple task to find ways to divide ourselves! Like the early philanthropists, we have a new challenging task after doing the easy stuff!

Not if we disagree though!

Here's Show #235! First off I pay tribute to Leonard Cohen and Bap Kennedy, two artists we lost this past week. That opening set ends with wisdom from Michael Nesmith from 1970! First timers to the SGP this week include Frog Holler, Modern Day Moonshine and Canned Heat (weird, it's taken so long to play them!). There's also new stuff from Reckless Kelly, The Devil Makes Three, and The Brothers Comatose. Listen for the editing on the Bottle Rockets, it's becoming a trademark for me! I like this show. I crafted it for your listening pleasure, enjoy!

Thanks as always Robin and Jerry! I'm just trying to follow the Michael Nesmith song's advice! You guys keep me centered and on point! Let's just keep on!

Thanks to all you listeners! You guys make this fun. Please, share my show with your friends and feel free to get in touch with me any way you can!

Peace and love!

Mike

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Show #234

Hello Friends of the Garden,

Sometimes it's like this!
Well, I already ate my doughnuts this morning! The newspaper, a second cup of delicious Brazilian coffee, and NPR is my second favorite routine (doing the show being first) of the week!

Like most people, whenever I hear or read news that concerns my occupation I always turn an attentive ear. Last week it was piece on why so many teachers are leaving the profession. Having 28 years behind me, I feel like I can objectively reflect on the context of the topic. This morning I heard a news piece on Junior High School suicide rates on NPR. Naturally, I was swept away with feelings of sadness and confusion. 

A new rage for the nation!
I have the hardest time with understanding the extremes that are presented daily through the media. I don't believe I will ever understand why people commit suicide, murder, rape, commit acts of cruelty on people or animals, and take advantage of others weakness for their own financial and political profit.  I realize that news is intentionally sensationalized to attract an audience. The consequence is to second guess the origin and intention of whatever is being reported. That is when doubts and conspiracy theorists flourish

Obviously, this being an election year, everything has kicked into overdrive! Media allows us to believe and scrutinize whatever we choose to believe, and to be completely affirmed of our beliefs! If you want to, you can believe we are about to elect an entrenched politician, bent on rewriting the Constitution, careless to the security of the nation and capable of swaying any outcome through influence or; a millionaire Washington outsider that has reignited a racial division, a TV personality that publicly demeans women and anyone that gets in the way, that prides himself on making deals with a record of being hit and miss!

Seriously, is this the best we can do? According to what we have been shown, is there anything redeeming about either of them? Have we reached a pinnacle, or can we ascend to greater heights of dysfunction? I remember when I was much younger during the Reagan administration and his "trickle down" economic policy. In spite of any policies invoked after Reagan, the result has become even more skewed
Bottom line folks!

I consider myself to be of relative, average intelligence. I have met and know a whole lot of people that are far more intelligent than I am! I have to believe that there are a whole lot of people in our country that are really smart! Not only smart, but a host of people enlightened enough to be impartial in their judgement. Seems like we should be looking for these people to guide us instead of the least dirty among us! 

Old guy voting by mail
so I can avoid being
harassed at the polling
place!
I have friends that I would trust implicitly with my possessions and family's well being, and have done so! Wouldn't it be cool to say that about the people that represent us in ALL forms of government? If such a simple mind as mine could conceive of such a notion; couldn't the smart people make it happen? I think we might be looking in the wrong direction!

On to Show #234! Speaking of influence and smart people, there's a decidedly "Hound Dog" feel to my first hour with Dr. John, Anders Osborne & Monk Boudreaux, New Orleans Nightcrawlers and The Rebirth Brass Band. This gives way to The Steve Kimock Band and guitar extraordinaires Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray Vaughn. The second hour begins with a request for Richard Thompson from Shawn that provides the "Fresno's 10" and also features first timers, The Bellfuries, G. Love and Seattle's Too Slim & the Taildraggers. There's Dwight Yoakam with a cool new updated version of Guitars and Cadillacs from his new album. Lots here folks! I'm excited to get this show on the road!

Thanks Jerry and Robin! I know I've been busy lately! It is a comfort to know you guys are always there for me. I never take it for granted!

Thanks to all of you that read this and or listen to my show! Thank you for allowing me  to learn more about myself through all of this. If I offend or bore you with any of this please know that that is not my intention. I'm just thinking!

Peace and love,

Mike