The Real Memphis Mike (don't settle for imitations)

Imagine you drive an old car (for some of us, this is a reality). It's the only car you've ever driven or ever owned. In fact, it was your parents' car! It's really the only car you've ever really known. You've taken good care of the car, for the most part. You've maintained it well. Regular oil changes, kept the tires rotated, everything kept in perfect running order. But at one point, you'd become a bit too comfortable with the car. You decided to spend a little less time on maintenance and decided to put in a new sound system. You found a nice, brand-spanketty new sound system, some great speakers, the whole works. The car is still running good and now you can sit comfortably behind the wheel, listening to your favorite tunes while cruising down the road. Further on in the car's lifetime, you let things slide a bit. You're not taking as much care of the car as you probably should. Some other folks have shown an interest and you get to thin...

Drummers. The bane of my existence. There is probably no class of humans that I would rather drink with. Drummers are, by nature, fun people. They beat on things. It's what they do. They can be a hoot! They can also be a royal pain in my ass! LOL Robert Fripp once pointed out that drummers are sonic nightmares. Their cymbals hog up all of the high end that guitarists should be using and all of the low end that bassists should be using. Alas, for most modern music, drummers have become a necessity...especially for rock and roll. They set the beat and keep the time, in short, they keep us musicians from going all over the place...they keep a steady beat and prevent mass chaos. Sometimes, they cause the chaos...but that's usually offstage. LOL In my decades of performing and recording, I've had the pleasure of working with many great drummers. I've been REALLY lucky in that aspect. I'm lucky to call most of them "friend" too. They're a great bunch, real...

The young'un and I just got home from seeing the new 3 Stooges flick...and let me tell ya, WE BOTH LOVED IT!!!!! While there will never be a replacement for the original Stooges, Sean Hayes , Will Sasso , and Chris Diamantopoulos did a truly nyuk-worthy job. The Horwitz boys and Mr. Feinberg are all probably looking down from comedy heaven with a sense of pride. Alas...no Shemp...but it's early days. If you're expecting amazing cinema...this ain't it. If you're expecting hi tech...this ain't it. If you're expecting heart-wrenching drama....why the hell would you expect that from a Stooges flick you knucklehead???? What this is, without giving away any plot details, is pure Stooges slapstick FUN! All of the old gags and names are there...plus a few new ones. It's everything you watch the Stooges for. Kudos to Jane Lynch , Sofía Vergara , and Jennifer Hudson for not trying to upstage the Stooges (which let's be honest...can't be done). These ladi...

Lately, I've been hearing the word "artisan" far too much. Allow me to clear up the definition: Definition of ARTISAN 1: a worker who practices a trade or handicraft : craftsperson 2: one that produces something (a cheese or wine) in limited quantities often using traditional methods That said, I do NOT think that Domino's Pizza, Dunkin Donuts, Panerra Bread or anything from Giant Eagle (or most chain grocery stores) qualifies. Yes, I'm aware that this is very nitpicky of me. Once in a while, that's how I am. But in all seriousness, I don't like CORPORATIONS ripping folks off...which is what they're doing here...moreso than usual. Over the years, I have enjoyed many things made by true artisans. A fine wine that no one has ever heard of; a hand-made guitar by someone most have never heard of, a hand-made sweater of exceptional quality, these are examples of true artisans. Cheap, processed crap thrown together haphazardly in a factory somewhere by someo...

Everyone seems to have an opinion about the Republicans running for their party's Presidential nomination. For the most part, the opinion seems to be that those running are idiots. Everyone is pointing out how 'out of touch' and misogynistic the Republicans are. But are they really? Here's my thought. With all of the Republicans in the US, are Romney & Santorum really the best they could come up with...or is something else afoot? Let's be honest; Mitt Romney & Rick "Mr. Frothy" Santorum are both clowns. And as such, they are doing what clowns do best - entertain and make people laugh. Neither is likely to ever be President of these United States. So then, what's the point? Diversion. Not DIVISION, Diversion . It's so simple yet so effective, it's almost genius in it's strategy. The Republicans obviously don't WANT the Presidency. With 242 Republicans in the House of Representatives and 47 in the Senate, the GOP can pretty eff...

April 1. April Fools Day. Love it or hate, it happens every year. As I've always liked to see myself as a jovial sort, I've always enjoyed the day. I like a good joke and prank as much, if not more, than the next person. This day pretty much is like having a license to be a goof! I must admit that I really miss working at the sheltered workshop most on April Fools Day. If you're unfamiliar with what a sheltered workshop is, it's basically a place where folks with special needs learn vocational skills. I worked at one for about 10-12 years. It was a hoot! It was hard work but always enjoyable...especially when one of the individuals we worked with exceeded their own expectations. What was ALWAYS fun was April Fools Day. At least 100 times each and every April Fools Day, I would be told "Your shoe's untied! April Fools!". I always knew to expect it and I relished it every time. I would take that moment to try to teach the folks to not be predictable...to th...