Tom Dowd, The Funk Brothers & Karl Rove

My friend Laura keeps urging me to write for money: magazines, websites etc... and suggests I use snappy hooks and market research. I'm sure she'd love my title on this one. So, what do these three have in common? All are fairly unknown relative to the huge impact they have had on our culture and all three are the subjects of documentaries I've seen recently. God bless the documentary. I'm getting inspired to make one again, even though my son scared me off by telling me how time consuming they are... "you have to practically live with the people".

Directing films is extremely time consuming in general. This one I watched recently, 42 Up, filmed some 20 British kids every seven years since the age of seven. This was the seventh film in the series. On the commentary track, the director of this one, who had worked on the project since 1965 talked about how hard it was to get the subjects to open up on tape. He had to start buttering them up two years before each film was to come out.

Anyway, back to the three films I'm comparing here...the titles say it all... see if you can match them up.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown
The Language of Music
Bush's Brain

If you don't know how extensively these behind the scenes players have affected your day to day life, well, at least check out the links and inform yourself. I found all three films fascinating and highly recommend them. BTW, the first two made contributions that brought joy to millions of people for many years already, with no end in sight. None of them made any money, some died destitute. The last one fucked over (and I mean really fucked over) everyone who ever crossed him and millions who didn't... needless to say, he's a wealthy man.

If you look at the intervision, you can see why a man like Tom Dowd, who lives fully in the language of love and music, would care less about money. What drives a man like Karl Rove, or Nixon, or Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bush... I'll never understand. Does anyone... except those few Machiavellis among us?

Anyway, check out the Funk Bothers at the recently renovated Stern Grove July 31!

In The Pen Dance

Independent
Not affiliated with a larger, controlling unit.
Not requiring or relying on something else or somebody else
Not easily influenced
Showing self reliance and personal freedom

Mail Me

Had a little epiphany this morning. I'm frequently asked, "What are you looking for?". Well, I finally figured it out. I'm looking for the male me. I guess I was too concerned about appearing egotistical to myself to face this rather obvious fact, but, when I think of what I am looking for in a man, it's basically a complete rundown of who I am, how I think and what I like... personality traits... everything. The closer it is to me... the more I like it.

Now, is everyone like this? I would imagine so. I guess every butterfly collector looks for another butterfly collector to share their passion with. I guess that's how & why these dating services operate. Match.com sends me these lists of compatible men but they're always in SF (where they have at least some culture). I however, live in Palo Alto, and therefore the male me would also need to be a Palo Altan, because, let me tell you, unless you've lived here a long time, you don't understand Palo Alto.... and, how do you explain that to someone?

Now, would I be bored with the male version of me... being, well, duplicative? Fuck no! I'm fascinating and therefore the male me would be too... see, it all works out. Let me clarify. I am not looking for a yes man. I'm NOT looking for passivity, submissiveness, acquiescence or a follower. Twenty years is enough for a lifetime. This is a total and full person in their own right who just happens to be exactly like me. That way it's all balanced out... no annoying power struggles. You're just on the same page, easily and nicely.

Most housewives I talk to are so shocked that I love being single... they try to subtly get all their little questions answered. I try to oblige, but, it's pretty fruitless. They just don't get it that there is a huge world out there and the internet is so efficient in finding it. At this point it takes about twenty guys to make up the male me. If you blended them all together, you'd have it. For now I've just got to date all of them to get it... tough life. In the end though, I'm sure the male me is right under my nose, waiting here in Palo Alto, maybe in some tired marriage... who knows, he's out there somewhere. Hope to hear from him soon.

Live Ate

7/8/05 Update: Pink Floyd sales go up 1300% on the strength of their performance, give all the profits to charity and urge others to do the same... which Elton and others have done.
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Thank God they let Putin into the G7... it would have been tough getting the seven around the guitar and making it look like a $. As I'm sure my readers have discerned, I can be rather cynical and even have a button with "Hardened Cynical Bastard" encircling an Anarchy A. But, I am a fucking puddle when it comes to these charitable megaconcerts. During the post 9-11 concert at the Garden, I went through half a box of tissues.

I even enjoyed watching Madonna. Come to think of it, I always enjoy watching Madonna, and all the other big artists and when they all accumulate in one big show... I like it even better. Sure, watching these huge artists, especially Madonna, hype themselves as humanitarians is a bit much. But, it's the job of artists to raise awareness and that's basically what they're trying to do.

Of course I cried during Pink Floyd. I mean when Roger and Dave started smiling at each other, after all their bad blood and talkin bout Sid... after all these years... not to mention listening to them play these incredible songs together again after so long. Amazing!! I'm so glad they got Dave's hands as he finessed the notes out of Money, he's underrated as a guitarist, but, it takes a lot to sustain the notes. I gotta tell ya, I'm glued to the fuckin TV, even with the tape rolling. One terrific performance after the next. What's not to love?

I like the fact that they gave free concerts to raise awareness rather than doing outright fundraisers, as they did last time. The fundraising board I serve on took this approach to the big Palo Alto May Fete Parade, which traditionally ended with a fundraiser. We decided to use the after-event as PR , a free community day, and made just as much money... or at least a lot of money. You never know if you could have made more, but I love the gesture of giving freely. It means a lot.

Then again, you shouldn't complain if people want to make a buck in the open market, as Geldorf did after some of the lucky winners of tickets to the British show offered them up for sale on E-bay. Geldorf grumbled till the site took them down... as they always do anytime anybody big grumbles.

Goodbye Luther and Obie (Benson, one of the Four Tops).... you made great contributions to music... these guys were some awesome vocalists! So, both a happy and sad day for music. Maybe more sad than happy when you realize that the twenty years since Live Aid have not done more to eradicate poverty.

As far as I'm concerned, no one in the developed world should spend their time with unhappiness. We have so much. Wake up every day in squalor and wonder if you can get through the day, who of your family or friends will die today. That's a problem, one that most humans who've lived on earth have had. What we have here are not problems, they're fake problems, created by a system that thrives on greed. Buy into that and you've wasted an incredible gift. Count your blessings and love your life, cause, you lucked out.

I talk to so many people who seem to live in these little boxes of fear, so afraid of what they might lose. They never bother to think that they are already such a huge winner, all they really need to do is just enjoy their winnings.