BLORG LIKE SCRATCH ON CELL WALL - MARK ONE MORE DAY GONE 11-24-13

             It is so cold out that my hands are cracking up.  I’m using this liquid they call liquid skin.  I guess it’s some kind of glue.  I usually use superglue for splits like this, but I haven’t seen it since the move, over two months ago.  I spoke to my pal Binky in NYC and he said he hasn’t been out in 36 hours, which I guess means it’s cold down there too.  Yep, just checked – it’s pretty cold.  Up here it gets down past zero in the winters – it feels really cold in NYC cause of the sea or something, but it’s actually colder here.  So there.  But it’s all relative.  We even have college kids up here who wear shorts all winter!  How!  Do!  They!  Do!  It?  What’s up?

          My therapist urges me to note other people’s reactions and attitudes, to compare with them and see how needlessly extreme mine are.  That includes my perception of cold, and how I dress.  And of course, can we get to the Bottom of it, because that’s what will help me know what the fuck I’m doing, for real.  The inner child…that phrase does have a reality.  Our thinking comes from our grown up identity, but our emotions are deeply rooted in (or consumed by) what we went through emotionally as little kids.  Damn.  And the guy’s right a lot of the time, but I can’t help rationalizing sometimes that he doesn’t really know what a healthy me looks like compared to a healthy “anyone”.  Funny idea.  Do your quirks consist of flaws?  And if you were more Present and less flawed, would You be you?  Would you have other things to say?  Things that the actual me would not say?  I’m boggling behind this.

          Basically, therapy is something I need, and he’s been very helpful.  Sometimes I think he secretly thinks that if I get better I’ll be more like him.  Is that all in my imagination?  I don’t think so – but of course that’s just part of my imagination too.

          It is definitely winter, I’ll tell you!  I’m very happy to be living in town, able to walk to most events I’d like to attend, and easy to drive to those which are a bit farther away.  Guess I might get some ice-grippers for my shoes, though – I’ll tell you, last night the ground was warm when it started snowing really hard, and then the snow stopped and the temperature plunged and all the roads became shiny ice.  Cars were in trouble on several major roads nearby.  But, I was lucky and didn’t go far – hadn’t gone far.  Mostly a mile or two down Pine Street, at my lovely

not-girlfriend’s house.  We were to go downtown to hear music.  But, we didn’t.

I said I was going to tell you about all that, but really, should I?  It’s…gossip.

          I hope you are all warm.  I must go write something else!  Right now!

If you’d like to hear an excellent story from my favorite conspiracy theorist, read this here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/binky-philips/my-jfk-obsession-becomes-_b_4324862.html

Hi Ho Silver and away,

CM

It May Snow Today/Tonight! Saturday night snow...could be nice

Once again I return to you, readers of my blarg.  Thanks for coming.  The show I was talking about last post happened, went fine, and all was well!  I like Phil Yates, he has a good band, and I enjoyed them.  Oddly, I liked his band (opening spot) best, the second band not bad ( just a duo - sort of a handicap), and the third band I could not stand/understand.  I'm an arranger, and have seen a lot of great bands, and this one - well, I wished I could change a lot of things.  I learned way back at CBs that sheer volume won't save you.  At any rate, I left midway, and home to dinner went I.  Ah, clubland.  Tonight is once again Saturday night, and I'd like to try and find a good new band, but the woman who has offered to accompany me doesn't trust me much...she won't go see anyone whose music she doesn't already like?  And I have no idea what she likes.  She has never asked about my music!  She came over once, and I was holding my guitar, and she just kept talking till I put it away.  Ummm...that was telling. We'll see about tonight.  She's shy about bars.  I don't drink either, but if that's where the music is, that is where I  go.  What will tonight bring?  Besides maybe snow?

OKAY! It's now up to 1528!

Yes, over the top we went. Thank you! Only 99,998,872 until I'm in Lady Gaga land...

Hope you have all been well, things are good, tonight I'm playing a few tunes at The Monkey House in Winooski, before the bands start.  It's fun - did it at the Lou Reed tribute they had last weekend.  Funny to see all those young people puzzling over rock and roll coming out of an acoustic guitar, while their pints are still pretty full, and they're still arriving.  They know the place isn't packed, so they figure not much is happening, and then they hear it...and all of a sudden they're not so sure...and then they're mesmerized...then I'm gone.  Who was that sprightly old man?  He seems to have left a silver bullet...
I'll be there around 9:00 - we'll see.  Thank you Phil Yates!  And Patrick and all at the MH.  Peace.

If one more person looks at my blog, it will make 1500

1500 views!  How many were mistakes?  How many were for one second only?  How many were detailed perusal of contents?  How many were from people genuinely curious?  Etc.  Thank you one and all - the one is the one who makes it 1500.  I shall try to post extremely often - and say something worth reading.  This is my promise to you, my people/customers/strangers/the NSA, whoever.  Bye!

FACEBOOK EXCHANGE INCLUDING A RANT FROM YOURS TRULY.

My fond hope is that no one minds my using their names.  If they do I will expunge immediately!  Now read.

Fran Bernfeld

I've never been a user, but apparently the appropriate attitude is "Fuck Spotify". Now, can someone tell me what Spotify actually is?

• Charlie Messing wiki: 20 million users. Streaming service, free trial period, 20 million songs on it. Yike. I've never been there.

  
  

  Shelli Milks They do, but not very much. None of the current services ( including iTunes & Pandora) pay musicians fairly. It's the worst time in human history to be a young musician.

  
  
• Mary Peterson Do musicians get more money from CDs than iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, etc.? I'm genuinely interested.
  

  
  Also, I remember reading y-e-a-r-s ago that the people who design the record sleeves/CD inlays get paid more than the people who write the songs that the records/CDs are in, which has always seemed insane to me. Although it does, at least, explain why anyone with a remotely artistic vein designs their own record sleeves (Michael Stipe of R.E.M.; Nick Seymour of Crowded House, etc.)

  
  
• 

  Charlie Messing Well, the folks who design the thing get paid right away. It's piecework. Same with the manufacturers. Those who write the songs make more than the folks who play the songs - that is why you have not seen any albums with COVER TUNES for 30 years now. The "record company" makes far more off their percentage of the writer's rights who they just signed (who is in the band) - and they don't have to pay any other publishing company for rights. When is the last time you saw an album with cover tunes??? Think about it. Now - if the artist has clout, and has renegotiated a better deal, he may get paid well. But it's all in the fine print. Who makes the money for the copies that sell overseas? The promotional copies? Little things like that. And if it's used in a movie? Etc. Sure, you get some money for designing your package, and you get paid Now. The band, if they ever recoup the expenses in recording, manufacturing and promoting the album (and touring), will Then start to see money. See? That's why very few object to "giving away" songs on large distribution networks (Itunes, Spotify, etc.), because it will draw people to their shows, and assist in sales of their album. I have a friend who did a download album, made a few inquiries after, and found that only 60 copies had sold, but thousands of kids had listened to the tunes! Doesn't seem fair, does it? The people who have "made their mark" and can put out their own albums make the money. Roger McGuinn of the Byrds sells CDs from his website, and has said that it's the first time he's made any money from any of his albums! Yep. When you see a band and they are selling their CDs - buy them then. They paid the wholesale price, you'll pay a retail price, and they'll keep the profit. And get a t-shirt while you're at it. Things were bad in the Old days too - Little Richard got paid 1/2 cent for each single sold, but when he toured, money poured in and he got to KEEP that. To get into it, read Donald Passman. Pardon me for going on and on.

I have hit the Huffington Post! Many thanks to Binky Philips, the most articulate, knowledegeable, observant, obsessive Rock and Roll fan I know! One of the proud, and the brave.

...and we have a special handshake, too.  Yeah, right.


Wow.  So read our Huff version, forget the previous one here.  More zazz, more pow, more zing!  Here's to collaboration!  And if I ever get this friggin comments thing to work, you can tell me what you think on this friggin blog! 
Meanwhile, just tell me on facebook or wherever - or use charliemessing@gmail.com

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/binky-philips/i-ignore-lou-reed-but-my-_b_4193996.html

Happy November to you all.  Up here, leaves are blowing sideways and it's cooling off.  A lot.

Lou, RIP.