September 29, 2005
It's a ZOO in here I tell Ya!!!
Ok, so most of you know we have a dog, Jake, and a cat, Chloe:
They obviously get along pretty well, it’s cute as all heck.
But we have some recent additions! Around the same time, about a month ago I guess, Cheech and Chong joined us (sorry bout the glare, this was the best I could do):
And a hamster, Lemywinks, joined us as well at that time. He’s a little bastard that likes to bite. I’m not a big fan of Lemywinks.
And just this past week, we welcomed our latest (and arguably cutest – don’t tell Jake or Chloe I said that) addition, Sydney:
Oh, I almost forgot the fishy fishy!! His name is Hendrix. He’s pretty boring.
All of the animals were picked out by my niece Lauren, who has an uncanny knack for getting damn cute pets (snakes excluded).
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September 13, 2005
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Maybe not too many of you have heard of Gatemouth, but he was an amazing musician that just passed away on September 10. His home in Slidell, LA was destroyed by Katrina, and after battling terminal lung cancer for the last year, I guess it was just too much for him. I didn’t know who he was till I saw him play with JJ Cale in New Orleans last year, and became interested in his story. He is amazing to me because he could play so many instruments – fiddle and guitar mainly – and was accomplished in so many styles of music. He hated being referred to as a bluesman because he did so much more. Blues actually bored him! He could play cajun, country, bluegrass, jazz, polka, calypso… the list goes on. That’s a man that loves music.
I have an article that I had tore out of a magazine a few months ago with some quotes from him I loved. “What young musicians need to learn is that if you’re going to play music, do it right. Keep it simple. Use dynamics. Don’t everybody be out there trying to be the frontman. Don’t rush, don’t drag, don’t run over yourself. Leave some open space.” Sounds simple doesn’t it?
Anyway, music lost a great role model and teacher. Check out some of his stuff.
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September 06, 2005
Gotta love Letterman
My co-workers and I were debating what “fo shizzle” means the other day. So, of course, I googled it. And, of course, it means, “for sure”. Now, as a white person, I’ve learned that I should not say “fo shizzle mah nizzle”. Although I can say to my homegirls “fo shizzle mah sizzle” or “fo shizzle mah bizzle” to my homeboys. Oh what the hell, I can say whatever the hell I want, I couldn’t care less what Kanye West says. He can bite my left one.
Anyway, I loved this quote from Letterman:
“I don’t know what the fizzuck I’m talking about.”
http://fo-shizzle-my-nizzle.urbanup.com/287894
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Tribute to the BirthPlace of Jazz
Like several people I’ve spoken to, the extent of the destruction in New Orleans didn’t sink in to me immediately. I think it was a full 48 hours after Katrina was long gone before I realized that this great city may no longer exist the way I remember it. I was lucky enough to spend a couple days there just last year with my brother David. We stopped there on our cross-country trip, and it was by far our favorite city. We were there on a Tuesday and Wednesday when nothing “special” was going on. It’s pretty awesome when you can just drop into the House of Blues on any old Tuesday night in New Orleans and see J.J. Cale and Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown. But that’s what it’s like there. Every night is special, and there’s always a party.
Anyway, it’s always been the music that has made this city great. If you want to help out some of the many, many musicians in New Orleans that have been displaced and help them rebuild their lives, here are a couple organizations you can send donations to:
New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC)
A “hands-on” organization that has the names and addresses of the many great musicians who visit their free health clinic. They are tracking down local musicians and finding them shelter. All musicians in need of assistance please call Kathy and Michelle at (337) 989-0001.
Send donations to:
NOMC Emergency Fund
Funds will be distributed by:
SW LA Area Health Education Center Foundation, Inc.
103 Independence Blvd.
Lafayette, LA 70506
Phone: 337-989-0001
Fax: 337-989-1401
Email: finance@swlahec.com
Web: www.swlahec.com
Jazz Foundation of America
Addressing the longer term needs of these jazz and blues artists who will have just lost everything, JFA will be raising funds and distributing money for the musicians to get new apartments, or rooms for rent by giving a first month’s rent, possibly more, for them to start over in a place to live. (This is what they normally do on a daily basis for musicians across the country who become sick and can’t pay their rent. JFA also keeps food on the table and gets employment for hundreds of elderly musicians through their Jazz in the Schools program. Operations normally assist 35 musicians a week.)
JFA will also attempt to help New Orleans musicians by replacing the thing that matters most and the only way they can ever work again: their instruments. To those who lost their instruments, like drummers and bassists who could not carry their heavy equipment, and guitarists with their amps, JFA will make an effort to work with manufacturers and music stores to replace those instruments for as many as possible.
Send donations to:
Jazz Foundation of America
322 West 48th Street 6th floor
New York, NY 10036
Director: Wendy Oxenhorn
Phone: 212-245-3999 Ext. 21
Email: Joyce@jazzfoundation.org
Web: www.jazzfoundation.org
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