I can honestly say that when it comes to my childhood, I really can't complain. I look back and life has been amazing. My parents were awesome, and they both did their best to work hard, set a good example, and provide for us kids. There are a million and a half stories that I want to share with the world about not just my childhood, but about my mom. You see, dad was a hard working man and was rarely home. He drove over-the-road trucks and tour buses, and would be gone for weeks at a time. So the bulk of the weight of raising us kids, fell on mom. Mom was the educator, spiritual advisor, the chauffeur, the cook, the housekeeper, and the disciplinarian. I can and will tell you about every hug, and every ass-kicking, because they were fairly balanced in their dispensing. I need to be clear about this part...I am going to tell the truth as I remember it. That's the part to remember. There may be some dispute at times from others about facts....but I can only tell my story as I remember it.
“ You may have heard some of the events described here happened otherwise or went down a different way. Well, this is my version-how I remember things, my truth”
- Lol Tolison
My memories bounce around a bit, as did we. Some of the younger years run together a bit. I know we lived in Corona, Santa Ana, Buena Park, Garden Grove, Poway and Ramona. I was a Southern California boy, having grown up on the beaches and in the parks by the lakes. My mother would get us up first thing in the morning and we would all ride the OCTD (Orange County Transit District buses) to Newport or Huntington Beaches. I remember going to Long Beach once, but it was filthy and we didn't enjoy it at all. My mother would pack granola bars (Nature Valley was in it's infancy and granola was just becoming popular), and baloney and cheese sandwiches and take us to the park to fly kites. She would sit and read her bible while us kids flew kites, played in the water etc. You see, what we didn't really appreciate back then, was just how hard mom worked to make our lives FULL. We had certain things that we thought were SOOOO aweful at the time, but in retrospect, they were small things to a giant. For instance, mom was a charismaniac all day. We went to church sunday morning, sunday evening, Wednesday evening bible study, friday youth group.....we were ALWAYS in church, and even to this day, she is convinced that if there is anything wrong, jesus is the answer. Mind you, i'm NOT mocking her. Her faith is a huge part of who she is. I don't share beliefs with her, even a little bit...but I respect the fact that she believes. I respect that she holds herself accountable to that belief system. Frankly, there are things specific to that faith, that have created amazing memories about childhood. For instance, it was never cold in the morning, in our house. My mother got up HOURS before anyone else, so that she could pray and study her bible. We had a wood burning stove, and she would start a fire and make sure that we had a warm living room to wake up to, while she had her prayer time. Now, mind you, we were NOT allowed to speak to her during that time. You were not allowed to disrupt her time talking to G-d. But it was certainly warm.
More to follow....
This will be updated as I have time, and more stories will be shared.
Friday, November 18, 2016
Sunday, November 13, 2016
I mean...what do you REALLY know about it??
It's
always interesting to me to engage people who express anti-Islam
feelings. I don't look for an argument, I merely ask a simple series of
questions.
1) Have you PERSONALLY ever opened a Q'ran and read it's scriptures?
2) When was the last time you attended Mosque?
3) Have you ever sat with an Imam and engaged in discussion of philosophy and theology?
4)
If you have no positive answers to the above questions, do you realize
your perceptions are all second-hand ideologies and media manipulations?
Start
thinking for yourselves. "Research" doesn't mean "google it". I have a
number of Muslims in my life that are wonderful friends and brothers,
and that I would happily give my life to protect. Oh, and i'm
Jewish....if you believe the media and hype, you'd think we should be
enemies. You see, as the Depeche Mode song says, "People are people".
I too, cant understand what makes a man hate another man, if they've never met. Please don't bother me with the same old nonsense about what this extremist or that one said. I fully acknowledge that there are those who use their religion or ideology to promote hate and look for every excuse to either convert others to their belief or to destroy them. After all, look who just got voted into the White House, and look at the resulting behavior among some of his faithful.
Listen, my point is this, and i'll keep it short. IF you want to judge ANY other person, based solely on their beliefs, than maybe you should try to understand their beliefs from a firsthand perspective. If you base everything off of media information and second-hand talk, then that makes you simply sheep. Stop following the masses whose only source of "information" is The Huffington Post and Fox News. You're not being educated. You're being indoctrinated. There's a significant difference in those two things.
For the love of all things holy, people, start thinking for YOURSELVES!!!!
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Oooooooh.....and it makes me wonder.....
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a supporter of Donald Trump. I am NOT a supporter of Hillary Clinton. To paraphrase Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket, "To me they are BOTH equally worthless". I am also not a believer in "Jesus". I merely use him as an example. By the way, if you don't know that you getting offended by what I write gains precisely ZERO fucks from me by now, I invite you to read the rest of my blog posts.
I have really been thinking about this and, well, I know I SAID the last one would be my last post on the election...well.... look, on sunday, you're gonna go to church and tell Jesus you're sorry for whatever your sins may be, then monday, you'll be right back at it, so back up off my nuts for a minute.
I just posted a rather lengthy explanation on my facebook page about why people need to stop using Trump's bankruptcies as an excuse to distrust him. Anyone in corporate business will tell you that sometimes you just have to do that, and it doesn't mean you were fiscally irresponsible. You could make a multi-million dollar deal with someone not knowing they are embezzling money, then they disappear with your money/investment, and now you have tons of debt and you need to restructure to fix the problem. It happens.
That's not what this is about.
This is about honesty and truth. About integrity and credibility.
There was a time, long before the advent of the internet, where someone could tell lies on someone else and no one would know any different. All you had was one person's word vs another. That day is gone, and "fact-checking" is here. There is actually no excuses any longer to spread misinformation, and really, no one short of their 60s, has any excuse for not checking things out before they share them. For instance, the recent "Kurt Cobain predicted Trump years ago" bullshit. He never said those words, but MAN did that meme ever spread like Billy Graham Gospel!! It's not uncommon anymore.
"If it's on facebook, it MUST be true!!".
Just because a meme tells you something, doesn't mean that it's true, and even if it's BASED in truth, whats the rest of the story?
EXAMPLE: "Hillary Clinton defended a child rapist and laughed about it". Ummm.....a tiny kernel of truth that's been blown WAY out of proportion AND context. You see, when Hillary was a young attorney, like MANY, she worked in a law clinic and a judge appointed her as public defendant for Thomas Alfred Taylor. Some of you may have watched enough television or studied enough on your own, to know that "You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you." Having been appointed by the judge, she had a duty to "VIGOROUSLY DEFEND" her client. That means, cross examining witnesses, studying and challenging evidence, and doing everything possible to put "reasonable doubt" in the mind of the jurors or the jurist. That's her JOB.
Be honest....i've even heard some of YOU talk about how your lawyer got you off with not charges or time served or plea-bargained, when you know damned well that you were guilty and simply got caught. Hell, I watched a judge in Mesa, AZ dismiss an entire DOCKET of cases, because they were all traffic tickets from a speed-cam, because ONE individual asserted his right to face and cross-examine his accuser....the camera. He then demanded that the state provide him with certification that the radar on the camera had been properly calibrated and regularly maintained, and that the camera was operating properly, that the radar may have caught the speed of the car in front of him, but the camera delayed taking the picture and inadvertently took a picture of HIM! The state couldn't provide all of this, and the judged dismissed EVERY CASE that day that was linked to any speed camera. I know, I was there, MINE was one of the cases dismissed. The guy WAS guilty, so was I and so was that whole docket of people, i'm sure. But that didn't matter, because our system said "reasonable doubt".
NOW, the people spreading the false meme and story that she got him off and laughed about it later, have not only twisted the story, but have destroyed their credibility. The same is true when falsehoods are spread about Trump. There are enough TRUTHS that are horrible and damaging. There is no need to try to embellish or straight out lie to make your point. Because you hurt your own cause when you do that. And for those who say "I just reposted", shame on you. You could have taken two seconds to research the facts, then you wouldn't look and feel stupid now.
"Information Super-Highway" indeed! Right at your fingertips. Excuses are now just that. Excuses, not reasons.
I have really been thinking about this and, well, I know I SAID the last one would be my last post on the election...well.... look, on sunday, you're gonna go to church and tell Jesus you're sorry for whatever your sins may be, then monday, you'll be right back at it, so back up off my nuts for a minute.
I just posted a rather lengthy explanation on my facebook page about why people need to stop using Trump's bankruptcies as an excuse to distrust him. Anyone in corporate business will tell you that sometimes you just have to do that, and it doesn't mean you were fiscally irresponsible. You could make a multi-million dollar deal with someone not knowing they are embezzling money, then they disappear with your money/investment, and now you have tons of debt and you need to restructure to fix the problem. It happens.
That's not what this is about.
This is about honesty and truth. About integrity and credibility.
There was a time, long before the advent of the internet, where someone could tell lies on someone else and no one would know any different. All you had was one person's word vs another. That day is gone, and "fact-checking" is here. There is actually no excuses any longer to spread misinformation, and really, no one short of their 60s, has any excuse for not checking things out before they share them. For instance, the recent "Kurt Cobain predicted Trump years ago" bullshit. He never said those words, but MAN did that meme ever spread like Billy Graham Gospel!! It's not uncommon anymore.
"If it's on facebook, it MUST be true!!".
Just because a meme tells you something, doesn't mean that it's true, and even if it's BASED in truth, whats the rest of the story?
EXAMPLE: "Hillary Clinton defended a child rapist and laughed about it". Ummm.....a tiny kernel of truth that's been blown WAY out of proportion AND context. You see, when Hillary was a young attorney, like MANY, she worked in a law clinic and a judge appointed her as public defendant for Thomas Alfred Taylor. Some of you may have watched enough television or studied enough on your own, to know that "You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you." Having been appointed by the judge, she had a duty to "VIGOROUSLY DEFEND" her client. That means, cross examining witnesses, studying and challenging evidence, and doing everything possible to put "reasonable doubt" in the mind of the jurors or the jurist. That's her JOB.
Be honest....i've even heard some of YOU talk about how your lawyer got you off with not charges or time served or plea-bargained, when you know damned well that you were guilty and simply got caught. Hell, I watched a judge in Mesa, AZ dismiss an entire DOCKET of cases, because they were all traffic tickets from a speed-cam, because ONE individual asserted his right to face and cross-examine his accuser....the camera. He then demanded that the state provide him with certification that the radar on the camera had been properly calibrated and regularly maintained, and that the camera was operating properly, that the radar may have caught the speed of the car in front of him, but the camera delayed taking the picture and inadvertently took a picture of HIM! The state couldn't provide all of this, and the judged dismissed EVERY CASE that day that was linked to any speed camera. I know, I was there, MINE was one of the cases dismissed. The guy WAS guilty, so was I and so was that whole docket of people, i'm sure. But that didn't matter, because our system said "reasonable doubt".
NOW, the people spreading the false meme and story that she got him off and laughed about it later, have not only twisted the story, but have destroyed their credibility. The same is true when falsehoods are spread about Trump. There are enough TRUTHS that are horrible and damaging. There is no need to try to embellish or straight out lie to make your point. Because you hurt your own cause when you do that. And for those who say "I just reposted", shame on you. You could have taken two seconds to research the facts, then you wouldn't look and feel stupid now.
"Information Super-Highway" indeed! Right at your fingertips. Excuses are now just that. Excuses, not reasons.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Hear the drummer get wicked..
If seemed like an appropriate title for this one, because like MistaChuck, I've got so much trouble on my mind.
I feel I said everything I needed to say about the presidential race, as it was being run. In the long run, Trump salted his oats better and the koolaid has been drank. Now what? Well, let's address a couple stupid-ass statements that are being made by some of you....
"I'm leaving the country". - Allied Van Lines is a top-notch, international moving company. Their number is 800-470-2851. You can call Mon-Fri 8a-6p. If that is your answer, to pack up and run, then get to it. The rest of us will stay here and take on this challenge. Stop talking stupid. Most of you get lost the moment you're outside of your own backyard.
"He ain't MY President" - Yes, he is. No, you didn't vote for him, and guess what? Your vote didn't matter in the FIRST fucking place. We live in a Constitutional Republic, boys and girls. Not a democracy. The office of the President is NOT decided by popular vote. PERIOD. Stop crying over spilled milk, and get on with the business of progress.
"Make America great again" - Ermmm...no. First off, the only thing that has happened, is that overt racism will now seem more acceptable. It's being shown already. Just go through facebook a little and look at the posts. We are seeing swastikas and the slogan "Make America WHITE again". All of a sudden, the "N" word seems to have new life breathed into it. I don't mean in a slang type of way. I mean out and out racist usage. And make America great AGAIN?? At what point has she been "great"? A nation founded on the theft of a land from a native people, the murder of those same people, herding them like cattle onto small bits of land in a country they once enjoyed....a nation founded by the very seeds of sedition and rebellion...built by the sweat and blood of slaves stolen from their homeland....."Our blood's a flood without credit". - Chuck D. Making treaties and promises and then breaking them....abusing anyone of color, oppression of women, MURDER of young black men......which part is the "Great" part, you want to get back to????
So, the election is over, you're not leaving the country, and we are all fucked ONLY if we sit back and allow it to happen. Time to grab shovel and pickaxe and lay hands to the work ahead. I'm not saying you have to be happy about it, but if all you can do is bitch piss and moan about it, then it's going to get real old really fast. Remember, even a broken clock is right twice per day.
I WILL, however, openly state that I support my brothers and sisters of ALL types. Blacks, hispanics, jews, muslims, gay, lesbian, trans, queer, fluid, dominant, submissive, furries, littles, whatever. I choose NOT to fear, because fear is not in my nature. I WILL stand strong beside you and I will NOT allow you to be harmed for who you are. Let me be 100% clear on that.
Thats the last of this conversation I plan on having. Anything else I post on the subject, will be satyrical and only meant for laughs.
Congratulations President-Elect Trump. Now, YOU put YOUR hands to the plow and start leading this nation FORWARD, not backwards. You're going to have critics no matter what you do, and there are going to be those who will complain just to complain. That's just life. Deal with it.
PEace,
Lion
I feel I said everything I needed to say about the presidential race, as it was being run. In the long run, Trump salted his oats better and the koolaid has been drank. Now what? Well, let's address a couple stupid-ass statements that are being made by some of you....
"I'm leaving the country". - Allied Van Lines is a top-notch, international moving company. Their number is 800-470-2851. You can call Mon-Fri 8a-6p. If that is your answer, to pack up and run, then get to it. The rest of us will stay here and take on this challenge. Stop talking stupid. Most of you get lost the moment you're outside of your own backyard.
"He ain't MY President" - Yes, he is. No, you didn't vote for him, and guess what? Your vote didn't matter in the FIRST fucking place. We live in a Constitutional Republic, boys and girls. Not a democracy. The office of the President is NOT decided by popular vote. PERIOD. Stop crying over spilled milk, and get on with the business of progress.
"Make America great again" - Ermmm...no. First off, the only thing that has happened, is that overt racism will now seem more acceptable. It's being shown already. Just go through facebook a little and look at the posts. We are seeing swastikas and the slogan "Make America WHITE again". All of a sudden, the "N" word seems to have new life breathed into it. I don't mean in a slang type of way. I mean out and out racist usage. And make America great AGAIN?? At what point has she been "great"? A nation founded on the theft of a land from a native people, the murder of those same people, herding them like cattle onto small bits of land in a country they once enjoyed....a nation founded by the very seeds of sedition and rebellion...built by the sweat and blood of slaves stolen from their homeland....."Our blood's a flood without credit". - Chuck D. Making treaties and promises and then breaking them....abusing anyone of color, oppression of women, MURDER of young black men......which part is the "Great" part, you want to get back to????
So, the election is over, you're not leaving the country, and we are all fucked ONLY if we sit back and allow it to happen. Time to grab shovel and pickaxe and lay hands to the work ahead. I'm not saying you have to be happy about it, but if all you can do is bitch piss and moan about it, then it's going to get real old really fast. Remember, even a broken clock is right twice per day.
I WILL, however, openly state that I support my brothers and sisters of ALL types. Blacks, hispanics, jews, muslims, gay, lesbian, trans, queer, fluid, dominant, submissive, furries, littles, whatever. I choose NOT to fear, because fear is not in my nature. I WILL stand strong beside you and I will NOT allow you to be harmed for who you are. Let me be 100% clear on that.
Thats the last of this conversation I plan on having. Anything else I post on the subject, will be satyrical and only meant for laughs.
Congratulations President-Elect Trump. Now, YOU put YOUR hands to the plow and start leading this nation FORWARD, not backwards. You're going to have critics no matter what you do, and there are going to be those who will complain just to complain. That's just life. Deal with it.
PEace,
Lion
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
The Godfather Principle
I'm amazed that I need to say this out loud to grown folks.
“Never get angry. Never make a threat. Reason with people.”
- Don Vito Corleone
Social media. Let's look at that term for just a moment. SOCIAL MEDIA. That is not the same thing as "private communication". Social media is just that. Social. Everyone is involved, everyone can see. Guess what, even if your profile is "private", it's not really private. It is not only able to be viewed by any 3rd grader with a talent for hacking, but it's also viewable by LAW ENFORCEMENT and ADMISSIBLE IN COURT. So, when you go onto SocMed and "vent" by making threats of violence, however thinly veiled they may be, you are (to quote Ice Cube) giving up your transcripts. You're confessing to premeditation to whatever you do that follows. You also make yourself prime suspect number 1. This is why it is more criminal the threaten the POTUS, than it is to assassinate him/her. If you just do it, "temporary insanity", "crime of passion" etc. If you threaten first, then do it, you remove your entire defense.
There are a series of books that I call my "Annual 5. I love to read and read from many different genres. However, I make sure that I read these 5 at least once per year.
"The Art of War" - Sun Tzu
"The Prince" - Niccolo Machiavelli
"The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive" - Patrick Lencioni
"The Perfect Kill: 21 Laws For Assassins" - Robert Baer
"The Godfather" - Mario Puzo
You'll find me quoting Don Corleone often, as his wisdom in life and business is astounding, and his principles are unbending and without reproach. Granted, I recognize that he is a fictional character, and that i'm in fact quoting Mario Puzo. But, Tomato Tomahto. The Don never threatened, he reasoned. Take when he sent Tom Hagen to speak to the movie producer. He asked for a favor, and then advised as to the ways that granting a favor could garner favors in return and prevent future misfortunes. He was clear that he made a much better ally than enemy. You see, The Don never threatened, BUT he payed close attention to threats made against him. In fact, the book shows us that he "weighed such threats for merit. If they were considerable and valid, he would respond accordingly, and if they weren't, he never said anything. He brushed them off, and looked at the person making the threat, with a lowered esteem".
When you begin to swagger, threaten, raise your voice, you're merely telling your opponent "I have no self-discipline and i'm losing/have lost control". When you do that on SocMed, you're telling EVERYONE this about yourself. If the people you are wanting to do business with see your behavior in such a light, they don't respect it or you. They begin to see you in a lower esteem, and cease taking you as serious as you may wish. In fact, you really shouldn't even confide such threats in someone you trust. There is an old saying, "Three people can keep a secret, if two of them are dead".
"Never hate your enemies. It clouds your judgement"
- Don Michael Corleone
Let's take that a step further. Stop posting your relationship troubles on SocMed as well. The only thing you're saying to others is "my situation is unstable", "I don't know how to handle my own business", "I want attention"...but most importantly, you're telling snakes "Come on in! The water's fine!!". This doesn't mean you can't speak to your confidants about your troubles. We all need to vent, and have the one friend that will be there for you to vent to. Hopefully, you have friends like mine, that will let me vent and will give me comfort OR tell me i'm full of shit, whichever is needed. But everyone you "friend" isn't your friend. In fact, FB lets you "follow" someone without being their "friend". So, believe me, haters are watching you too, and plotting. Stop giving them fodder, and stop giving them a way to be a wedge in your life. Stop playing checkers in life, and only thinking about the moment. Begin playing chess. Plan your moves while considering the future. And plan those moves quietly.
I'll end all of this with this final thought from Don Corleone.
“Never get angry. Never make a threat. Reason with people.”
- Don Vito Corleone
Social media. Let's look at that term for just a moment. SOCIAL MEDIA. That is not the same thing as "private communication". Social media is just that. Social. Everyone is involved, everyone can see. Guess what, even if your profile is "private", it's not really private. It is not only able to be viewed by any 3rd grader with a talent for hacking, but it's also viewable by LAW ENFORCEMENT and ADMISSIBLE IN COURT. So, when you go onto SocMed and "vent" by making threats of violence, however thinly veiled they may be, you are (to quote Ice Cube) giving up your transcripts. You're confessing to premeditation to whatever you do that follows. You also make yourself prime suspect number 1. This is why it is more criminal the threaten the POTUS, than it is to assassinate him/her. If you just do it, "temporary insanity", "crime of passion" etc. If you threaten first, then do it, you remove your entire defense.
There are a series of books that I call my "Annual 5. I love to read and read from many different genres. However, I make sure that I read these 5 at least once per year.
"The Art of War" - Sun Tzu
"The Prince" - Niccolo Machiavelli
"The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive" - Patrick Lencioni
"The Perfect Kill: 21 Laws For Assassins" - Robert Baer
"The Godfather" - Mario Puzo
You'll find me quoting Don Corleone often, as his wisdom in life and business is astounding, and his principles are unbending and without reproach. Granted, I recognize that he is a fictional character, and that i'm in fact quoting Mario Puzo. But, Tomato Tomahto. The Don never threatened, he reasoned. Take when he sent Tom Hagen to speak to the movie producer. He asked for a favor, and then advised as to the ways that granting a favor could garner favors in return and prevent future misfortunes. He was clear that he made a much better ally than enemy. You see, The Don never threatened, BUT he payed close attention to threats made against him. In fact, the book shows us that he "weighed such threats for merit. If they were considerable and valid, he would respond accordingly, and if they weren't, he never said anything. He brushed them off, and looked at the person making the threat, with a lowered esteem".
When you begin to swagger, threaten, raise your voice, you're merely telling your opponent "I have no self-discipline and i'm losing/have lost control". When you do that on SocMed, you're telling EVERYONE this about yourself. If the people you are wanting to do business with see your behavior in such a light, they don't respect it or you. They begin to see you in a lower esteem, and cease taking you as serious as you may wish. In fact, you really shouldn't even confide such threats in someone you trust. There is an old saying, "Three people can keep a secret, if two of them are dead".
"Never hate your enemies. It clouds your judgement"
- Don Michael Corleone
Let's take that a step further. Stop posting your relationship troubles on SocMed as well. The only thing you're saying to others is "my situation is unstable", "I don't know how to handle my own business", "I want attention"...but most importantly, you're telling snakes "Come on in! The water's fine!!". This doesn't mean you can't speak to your confidants about your troubles. We all need to vent, and have the one friend that will be there for you to vent to. Hopefully, you have friends like mine, that will let me vent and will give me comfort OR tell me i'm full of shit, whichever is needed. But everyone you "friend" isn't your friend. In fact, FB lets you "follow" someone without being their "friend". So, believe me, haters are watching you too, and plotting. Stop giving them fodder, and stop giving them a way to be a wedge in your life. Stop playing checkers in life, and only thinking about the moment. Begin playing chess. Plan your moves while considering the future. And plan those moves quietly.
I'll end all of this with this final thought from Don Corleone.
“A friend should always underestimate your virtues and an enemy overestimate your faults”
Let's all play life a little smarter.
Sunday, October 2, 2016
That's just NOT ME!
This began as a text to a friend. But I wanted to just share it and see who else feels this way.
I was walking through a department store and I saw other guys my age that are just every day shmoes. Frumpy with their bowl-haircuts, in their work-a-day lives, wearing the polo shirt their wives bought them, merely plodding along.
The thought then occurred to me....stick with me, kids....
I was NEVER meant to be "average". I wasn't designed to be content with a 40 hr week, 9-5 timeclock-punching bullshit existence.
It just wasn't me, and that die was cast from a VERY young age. I began singing in church at the age of 6. I could belt out "Amazing Grace" like no one's business. I didn't have to be PUSHED into it...I did it on my own. I REQUESTED to be able to sing a "special". I began learning to play guitar at the age of 8, with only a guitar and a chord chart. My father gave me the only music lesson I ever had in my entire life. He said "IF you want to learn, you'll learn". Simple. I now play 16 (UPDATE 3/16/24: That has now turned into 18) instruments, I thought myself every single one of them, I have never taken a lesson, and I don 't read a lick of music. I play by ear, and always have. I started singing in local bands from about the age of 13, and covered everything from The Temptations, to Cameo, to Full Force, to Earth Wind & Fire, to Iron Maiden, to Coheed and Cambria. I do anything from classic Italian ballads, to Rob Zombie. I am a dynamic, charismatic individual. A leader, a learner, a teacher, a master, and a pupil. I've driven every tank from the M48A5 up to the M1A1, i've road marched AND ran Misery, Agony, and Heartbreak (anyone who went through Ft. Knox knows what i'm talking about). I've jumped out of perfectly good aircraft, and can put a bullet up a flea's ass at 1600 meters.
What i'm saying, is not to be as bragadocious as it sounds. I'm trying to illustrate my point. I'm not an "average" cat. I never have been. I wasn't designed to be. I've been fortunate enough to have wonderful children, and now grandchildren.....but even THEY will tell you, i'm not the average Dad. They have a dad who introduces them to rockstars and hip hop gods, a dad who they have seen onstage, rocking a crowd for an hour straight, then coming home and having fresh homemade canolis ready for breakfast the next morning.
Fuck it. Call me cocky, arrogant, asshole, too big for my own britches...tell me i'm smellin myself..
But don't even TRY to tell me I'm "Average". I'm anything BUT. And I was NEVER MEANT to be anything short of....
EXTRAORDINARY.
I was walking through a department store and I saw other guys my age that are just every day shmoes. Frumpy with their bowl-haircuts, in their work-a-day lives, wearing the polo shirt their wives bought them, merely plodding along.
The thought then occurred to me....stick with me, kids....
I was NEVER meant to be "average". I wasn't designed to be content with a 40 hr week, 9-5 timeclock-punching bullshit existence.
It just wasn't me, and that die was cast from a VERY young age. I began singing in church at the age of 6. I could belt out "Amazing Grace" like no one's business. I didn't have to be PUSHED into it...I did it on my own. I REQUESTED to be able to sing a "special". I began learning to play guitar at the age of 8, with only a guitar and a chord chart. My father gave me the only music lesson I ever had in my entire life. He said "IF you want to learn, you'll learn". Simple. I now play 16 (UPDATE 3/16/24: That has now turned into 18) instruments, I thought myself every single one of them, I have never taken a lesson, and I don 't read a lick of music. I play by ear, and always have. I started singing in local bands from about the age of 13, and covered everything from The Temptations, to Cameo, to Full Force, to Earth Wind & Fire, to Iron Maiden, to Coheed and Cambria. I do anything from classic Italian ballads, to Rob Zombie. I am a dynamic, charismatic individual. A leader, a learner, a teacher, a master, and a pupil. I've driven every tank from the M48A5 up to the M1A1, i've road marched AND ran Misery, Agony, and Heartbreak (anyone who went through Ft. Knox knows what i'm talking about). I've jumped out of perfectly good aircraft, and can put a bullet up a flea's ass at 1600 meters.
What i'm saying, is not to be as bragadocious as it sounds. I'm trying to illustrate my point. I'm not an "average" cat. I never have been. I wasn't designed to be. I've been fortunate enough to have wonderful children, and now grandchildren.....but even THEY will tell you, i'm not the average Dad. They have a dad who introduces them to rockstars and hip hop gods, a dad who they have seen onstage, rocking a crowd for an hour straight, then coming home and having fresh homemade canolis ready for breakfast the next morning.
Fuck it. Call me cocky, arrogant, asshole, too big for my own britches...tell me i'm smellin myself..
But don't even TRY to tell me I'm "Average". I'm anything BUT. And I was NEVER MEANT to be anything short of....
EXTRAORDINARY.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
The 1000 lb Gorilla In The Room
There are so many things going on right now, it's difficult to cover them all. I'm a passionate person, and there are things that i'm passionate about. I am very involved in Hip-Hop Stand Up/Justice For Mario Woods, I am the founder of StopLoss22, a foundation whose focus is veteran suicide and helping those at-risk. I am taking on some new projects as well, expanding my company and my resume. But all of that falls to the rear at times, when i'm dealing with personal issues/demons.
I'm only human, after all.
I was reading on someone's facebook this evening, and I saw a post he wrote about abuse. It was well-written and he made some very valid and serious points about women being abused. I feel it's important to state, that MEN can get abused as well. Sometimes it's mental/psychological, sometimes, emotional. You know what the worst part is? Men (typically) have no one to turn to. No one they can talk to. What do we do as men, to eachother? "Suck it up, pussy!" "Dude! You're so much bigger than she is!" "Ain't no woman putting her hands on ME!" "What the fuck is wrong with you? LEAVE!!" .....we essentially make it our bro's own fault he's in that situation.
Shame on every last one of us.
It's not easy to admit that you're being controlled, manipulated and emotionally abused. I constantly give the advice that "People will do PRECISELY what you allow them to do"...but find it difficult to follow my OWN advice there. Love is an awesome thing. Love is a terrible curse. Love is an emotionally violent weapon, in the wrong hands. "I love you" can be the most beautiful thing anyone has ever been told.
"I love you" is the most terrible lie that can be told.
What of the man whose woman says the ultimate, "I hate you! You make me SICK!" "I can't stand to even be around you!!" ....until they need something, or until you say "fuck it" and walk away, and then all of a sudden the tune changes. "Please don't go! I can't make it without you! I know I was wrong! I'm sorry! I'll change!!!" ...........and we come back home, because we believe that THIS time, it will REALLY change!! And it does...for about a week. Before you know it, you're right back where you started, and possibly even WORSE. You've proven you aren't going anywhere, and those bonds of manipulation can draw you right back.
Sound familiar? Like every abused wife you've ever seen that left her husband, but believed "I love you/need you, i'll change" and went running back. You see, the emotional abuse is just as effective. Women (typically) know that they can't take their man physically, so they strike where they know they CAN.
In the pride. Insulting you, mocking you, disrespecting you, ignoring you....and then acting as if YOU'RE the crazy one.
My point is a very simple one.
Know that your brother can be abused, just as easily as your sister. The scars aren't physical, but the emotional scars of an abused heart, can run deep as well. They sometimes take longer to heal. Be that friend who is THERE for your brother, not the one who alienates him. Lord knows, he ALREADY is being made to feel "less than" a man. He doesn't need your heaping it on.
Peace
I'm only human, after all.
I was reading on someone's facebook this evening, and I saw a post he wrote about abuse. It was well-written and he made some very valid and serious points about women being abused. I feel it's important to state, that MEN can get abused as well. Sometimes it's mental/psychological, sometimes, emotional. You know what the worst part is? Men (typically) have no one to turn to. No one they can talk to. What do we do as men, to eachother? "Suck it up, pussy!" "Dude! You're so much bigger than she is!" "Ain't no woman putting her hands on ME!" "What the fuck is wrong with you? LEAVE!!" .....we essentially make it our bro's own fault he's in that situation.
Shame on every last one of us.
It's not easy to admit that you're being controlled, manipulated and emotionally abused. I constantly give the advice that "People will do PRECISELY what you allow them to do"...but find it difficult to follow my OWN advice there. Love is an awesome thing. Love is a terrible curse. Love is an emotionally violent weapon, in the wrong hands. "I love you" can be the most beautiful thing anyone has ever been told.
"I love you" is the most terrible lie that can be told.
What of the man whose woman says the ultimate, "I hate you! You make me SICK!" "I can't stand to even be around you!!" ....until they need something, or until you say "fuck it" and walk away, and then all of a sudden the tune changes. "Please don't go! I can't make it without you! I know I was wrong! I'm sorry! I'll change!!!" ...........and we come back home, because we believe that THIS time, it will REALLY change!! And it does...for about a week. Before you know it, you're right back where you started, and possibly even WORSE. You've proven you aren't going anywhere, and those bonds of manipulation can draw you right back.
Sound familiar? Like every abused wife you've ever seen that left her husband, but believed "I love you/need you, i'll change" and went running back. You see, the emotional abuse is just as effective. Women (typically) know that they can't take their man physically, so they strike where they know they CAN.
In the pride. Insulting you, mocking you, disrespecting you, ignoring you....and then acting as if YOU'RE the crazy one.
My point is a very simple one.
Know that your brother can be abused, just as easily as your sister. The scars aren't physical, but the emotional scars of an abused heart, can run deep as well. They sometimes take longer to heal. Be that friend who is THERE for your brother, not the one who alienates him. Lord knows, he ALREADY is being made to feel "less than" a man. He doesn't need your heaping it on.
Peace
Sunday, June 12, 2016
From my Father, to Me. From me, to my son
Last thought as I go to bed-
I want to share something with you all.
My father was a great man, and I learned a lot from his example. I owe my sense of honor to him. My willingness to stand up for others, my respect for my mother, etc. I also learned to always tell my children "I love you", because you see, he never said that to me after a certain age. I resented the fact that everyone knew he was proud of me being in the army, except me. I never heard it from him. I heard about his pride from others, after he died. Therefore, I learned to let my children know I'm proud of them. I also had to learn some things the hard way. I didn't understand that my dad struggled with alcohol, that he was addiction-prone. He smoked cigarettes, and I started smoking about the age of 10. I have struggled with addictions and alcohol abuse and smoking....in some ways, I am like my father, only a little better.
I have never hidden who I am from my children. I am very open about my past drug use, my struggles with alcohol....they've seen my mistakes. I've let them, so they could learn from and hopefully avoid them. I love each of them and I'm very proud of them all....but I want to focus on my son Chris, for just a moment.
I have asked ONE thing of my son, as he will tell you this is true. I told him "The only thing truly want from you, is for you to be better than me!" I am so proud of you, son. So much younger than I was, but so much wiser and already a better man than I. Thank you for who you have grown up to be.
I love you.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
A CALL TO ALL OF HIP-HOP'S FOUNDING FATHERS!! (Read and pass along)
I have made this point previously, and I would
like to ask you ALL to help me facilitate this. As we all mourn Phife's
passing, there is something else that passed with him. HIS story of HIS
experience with ATCQ and hip-hop as a whole. We can listen to everyone
else tell us their perception of his experience, but the opportunity to
hear it from his OWN lips is now forever gone.
I want to reach out to as many of our classic hip-hop artists as possible and have them either write an essay, a short story, a book, a page, a paragraph, or for that matter a voice message and i'll transcribe it, telling THEIR story of THEIR experience in THEIR words from THEIR perspective. I want to take the collective and create a "history book", before all we have left, is hearsay and stories passed down, watered down, altered.....before the history of our founding fathers is reduced to nothing more than "legend" "folklore".....the "telephone game"
If nothing else, as I know how limited everyone's time is, if you would either send me an email list that I can send this letter to, or better than that, if you would forward it to those you feel would be willing, with a small endorsement of the idea, that would help.
We MUST get this ball rolling before we lose anymore.
Phife was MY age. Just a kid...
PEace
Lion
I want to reach out to as many of our classic hip-hop artists as possible and have them either write an essay, a short story, a book, a page, a paragraph, or for that matter a voice message and i'll transcribe it, telling THEIR story of THEIR experience in THEIR words from THEIR perspective. I want to take the collective and create a "history book", before all we have left, is hearsay and stories passed down, watered down, altered.....before the history of our founding fathers is reduced to nothing more than "legend" "folklore".....the "telephone game"
If nothing else, as I know how limited everyone's time is, if you would either send me an email list that I can send this letter to, or better than that, if you would forward it to those you feel would be willing, with a small endorsement of the idea, that would help.
We MUST get this ball rolling before we lose anymore.
Phife was MY age. Just a kid...
PEace
Lion
( email me: lion@trueschoolent.com )
Friday, March 11, 2016
Now, wait just a damned minute.......
Wow...y'all kinda just CRAVE some drama, don't you? You wicked hypocrites. You shuffle our classic artists off into the old-folks circuit, doing old school shows that you MIGHT come to. You straight download all the music, bootleg the merchandise, and refuse to give any real airtime to their new music.....but let something be said, and all of a sudden, you wanna take sides and talk about how much you respect someone. Here, let me speak for ALL of these MCs.....FUCK your so-called "respect". You know what what you're like? You're like all these cats on 9/10. Didn't give a fuck about anything but yourselves and your little lives. The 9/11 happened, towers fell...and all of a sudden, there was an American flag flying from every fuckin' porch. Bullshit. Your "patriotism" is fake and so are you. The same stands for you that was all about today's hottest artist, until Daddy-O spoke some truth you didn't like...then you want to blow up social media. Where was your love for Rakim before? No no no.....where was your EXPRESSION of love? Did you buy your last copy of Paid In Full or Follow The Leader? I doubt it. More likely, you downloaded it. Did you buy a t-shirt at the last show? Did you even GO? Stop talking about who you "love" and "respect". Because I guarantee that your love and respect doesn't reflect in their bank accounts.
But lets break this down just a little bit. What did Daddy-O say that was disrespectful? Rakim told the biggest lie in hip-hop....that sounds like a statement of fact (or i'll even say opinion, if it makes you feel better). Was he disrespectful by saying "I'm not a fan of Jay Z"?. He didn't say "Yo, Rakim is a fucking liar!". To say someone told a lie and to call them a liar are absolutely different statements. The fact is "it's not where you're from, it's where you're at" is a lie. I mean what else do you call a statement that is untrue? Daddy-O backed it all up with fact. Even as he lives in ATL now, he still claims East New York, Brownsville, Brooklyn. Kangol Kid lives on Staten Island and still reps East Flatbush, BK. I live in NW Indiana, but i'll tell people in a HEARTBEAT that I was raised in San Diego, Ca.
Why is it about where you're from? Because your life experiences where you're FROM, formulate your world view, and explain both your mindset and your actions. Example: If you go to dinner with me and you pick up your mashed potatoes with your hand and eat it off your fingers, i'm going to find you disgusting....unless of course, I learn that you lived in the deepest Congo, and this is what is normal to you. It's about where you're from. I was talking with a friend who is terrified of the ocean. They saw a video of someone on a beach get overwhelmed by the ocean and dragged away from shore. "FUCK that, that's why I don't fuck with the ocean! It will KILL YOU"......and as a San Diego native, I looked and said "You're directly out of your mind. If that dude would have just relaxed, an undertow pulls in an upward motion. If you don't fight, it will actually pull you back up to the surface!" .....but that person grew up in like Idaho or something, so they didn't have the life-experience to understand my perspective. It's about where you're FROM.
I do find it humorous that, as the label co-owner, I have reached out to XXL Magazine since 06/15 with information, updates, press releases, media alerts, tracks, requests for music reviews, and offers to interview Daddy-O, and not a word in response. But the MOMENT shit starts looking like something negative is happening, they just STRAIGHT on Daddy-O's dick to "report" it. But I can guarantee as Daddy-O's manager AND label co-owner, that neither XXL, nor ANY ONE ELSE, has reached out to ask Daddy-O about this interview, or to clarify any of his statements. Interesting, no? Actually....no, it's not interesting. It's their M.O. and I have no business being surprised.
Lets address a couple of other things here real quick. Daddy-O didn't disrespect Jalil. He QUOTED Jalil in reference to the rhyme style and lyrical skill/vernacular of today's rappers compared to yesteryear's. The fact is, those flows are worlds apart. Sadly, for all the "advances" in rap, it mostly churns out talent-less hacks anymore. Nonsensical garbage. GET OFF MY LAWN......
Also, let's address Daddy-O's "Five Fingers of Death" freestyle. FIRST OFF, Daddy-O was clear at the end of that rhyme, that he was in no way dissing Fruqwan. He said "What? Because he was in the Gravediggaz.... plus Poetic died and that's a hard thing". But y'all bored ass people want to make it out to be something it isn't.
Thank you AmbrosiaForHeads, and of COURSE Sway in the Morning. And thank the rest of you for jumping onboard, no matter which side, because my message is a simple one....be consistent. If you say you love and respect an artist, why don't you start supporting their art, instead of stealing it. Believe me, they would appreciate THAT much more than your here today gone tomorrow lip service.
Last thought, if you're offended and think you're owed an apology, then here you go. I'm sorry that your psyche is so fragile, that mere words can upset your world so easily. I'm sorry you're so delicate.
Peace
But lets break this down just a little bit. What did Daddy-O say that was disrespectful? Rakim told the biggest lie in hip-hop....that sounds like a statement of fact (or i'll even say opinion, if it makes you feel better). Was he disrespectful by saying "I'm not a fan of Jay Z"?. He didn't say "Yo, Rakim is a fucking liar!". To say someone told a lie and to call them a liar are absolutely different statements. The fact is "it's not where you're from, it's where you're at" is a lie. I mean what else do you call a statement that is untrue? Daddy-O backed it all up with fact. Even as he lives in ATL now, he still claims East New York, Brownsville, Brooklyn. Kangol Kid lives on Staten Island and still reps East Flatbush, BK. I live in NW Indiana, but i'll tell people in a HEARTBEAT that I was raised in San Diego, Ca.
Why is it about where you're from? Because your life experiences where you're FROM, formulate your world view, and explain both your mindset and your actions. Example: If you go to dinner with me and you pick up your mashed potatoes with your hand and eat it off your fingers, i'm going to find you disgusting....unless of course, I learn that you lived in the deepest Congo, and this is what is normal to you. It's about where you're from. I was talking with a friend who is terrified of the ocean. They saw a video of someone on a beach get overwhelmed by the ocean and dragged away from shore. "FUCK that, that's why I don't fuck with the ocean! It will KILL YOU"......and as a San Diego native, I looked and said "You're directly out of your mind. If that dude would have just relaxed, an undertow pulls in an upward motion. If you don't fight, it will actually pull you back up to the surface!" .....but that person grew up in like Idaho or something, so they didn't have the life-experience to understand my perspective. It's about where you're FROM.
I do find it humorous that, as the label co-owner, I have reached out to XXL Magazine since 06/15 with information, updates, press releases, media alerts, tracks, requests for music reviews, and offers to interview Daddy-O, and not a word in response. But the MOMENT shit starts looking like something negative is happening, they just STRAIGHT on Daddy-O's dick to "report" it. But I can guarantee as Daddy-O's manager AND label co-owner, that neither XXL, nor ANY ONE ELSE, has reached out to ask Daddy-O about this interview, or to clarify any of his statements. Interesting, no? Actually....no, it's not interesting. It's their M.O. and I have no business being surprised.
Lets address a couple of other things here real quick. Daddy-O didn't disrespect Jalil. He QUOTED Jalil in reference to the rhyme style and lyrical skill/vernacular of today's rappers compared to yesteryear's. The fact is, those flows are worlds apart. Sadly, for all the "advances" in rap, it mostly churns out talent-less hacks anymore. Nonsensical garbage. GET OFF MY LAWN......
Also, let's address Daddy-O's "Five Fingers of Death" freestyle. FIRST OFF, Daddy-O was clear at the end of that rhyme, that he was in no way dissing Fruqwan. He said "What? Because he was in the Gravediggaz.... plus Poetic died and that's a hard thing". But y'all bored ass people want to make it out to be something it isn't.
Thank you AmbrosiaForHeads, and of COURSE Sway in the Morning. And thank the rest of you for jumping onboard, no matter which side, because my message is a simple one....be consistent. If you say you love and respect an artist, why don't you start supporting their art, instead of stealing it. Believe me, they would appreciate THAT much more than your here today gone tomorrow lip service.
Last thought, if you're offended and think you're owed an apology, then here you go. I'm sorry that your psyche is so fragile, that mere words can upset your world so easily. I'm sorry you're so delicate.
Peace
Saturday, March 5, 2016
The Burden Endured....
There are many frustrations involved in what I do and who I work with. I have always been a person that says what is on my mind. If you step on my toes, I tended to let you know about it. If something pissed me off, if NOTHING ELSE, I could at least go on twitter or FB and blow off steam, even if it was just passive aggressive. I had an avenue to get things off of my chest. I didn't realize just how freeing that really is.
Those days are behind me now, and that's by choice. Choice, because I've CHOSEN to live a public life. That's the essence of what this work really is. Public. The face of a label. The face of an entertainment company, the voice of reason and diplomacy for my clients, who are incredibly well known. It's my job to temper their words and when needed, to clean up messes they make. I speak with their authority, and therefore, my actions reflect on them. Regardless of how little my actual involvement with a particular artist may be, if I am known to be their associate, my actions and words reflect on them. To the degree that I am hyper-aware of my appearance when I leave the house even to just go to the grocery. All this may be a choice....but it's also a burden.
I have nowhere to really vent, no, not even here. Even THIS isn't private. For a while, years ago, I was on experienceprojectDOTcom, which was a blogging site based on anonymity. You didn't post your name, instead, people would connect with you based on your experiences. So, if you posted something with the title "I think my spouse is cheating on me", others would see that title and join the conversation, if they were feeling the same thing. Kinda cool....but I came to a couple of conclusions Firstly, my experiences are fairly unique to what I do. Not really likely to find other entertainment company owners/label executives who deal with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees on a daily basis, so there's that. Second, the ones who COULD relate, were commiserating, and that's not what I want to be surrounded by.
Oh well....price I pay for the life I choose, no?
Those days are behind me now, and that's by choice. Choice, because I've CHOSEN to live a public life. That's the essence of what this work really is. Public. The face of a label. The face of an entertainment company, the voice of reason and diplomacy for my clients, who are incredibly well known. It's my job to temper their words and when needed, to clean up messes they make. I speak with their authority, and therefore, my actions reflect on them. Regardless of how little my actual involvement with a particular artist may be, if I am known to be their associate, my actions and words reflect on them. To the degree that I am hyper-aware of my appearance when I leave the house even to just go to the grocery. All this may be a choice....but it's also a burden.
I have nowhere to really vent, no, not even here. Even THIS isn't private. For a while, years ago, I was on experienceprojectDOTcom, which was a blogging site based on anonymity. You didn't post your name, instead, people would connect with you based on your experiences. So, if you posted something with the title "I think my spouse is cheating on me", others would see that title and join the conversation, if they were feeling the same thing. Kinda cool....but I came to a couple of conclusions Firstly, my experiences are fairly unique to what I do. Not really likely to find other entertainment company owners/label executives who deal with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees on a daily basis, so there's that. Second, the ones who COULD relate, were commiserating, and that's not what I want to be surrounded by.
Oh well....price I pay for the life I choose, no?
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Who ARE you?
Alright, get out the Preparation H...some of y'all are going to be butt-hurt.
I want to make a point here, popular (with some) or not (with others).
The rap game is very much like the mafia. You're only as good as this week's envelope. Everyone wants to know what you're doing TODAY. People give respect to many rap veterans because they laid the foundation of hip hop, and put in the blood, sweat, and tears to get rap recognized as a lasting art and form of music, and not a fad. That's awesome! Every single veteran in the game deserves recognition as such, and to be respected and appreciated. Just like our military veterans deserve respect for their selfless sacrifice, and for even paying the ultimate price for our freedoms. I AM IN NO WAY IMPLYING THAT RAP ARTISTS ARE IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS OUR MILITARY VETS...now, sit down, shut up, and watch where i'm going with this. I'm making the comparison, leading up to something else, fucko.
Every veteran deserves respect and recognition, but that doesn't automatically mean that they are necessarily "leadership material" or that they will go on to a noteworthy career and accomplish great things in the military. People will listen to them to hear their history, and out of respect.
Let's get a little closer to where i'm going.....
3 names I want to present to you....
Gen. Norman Shwarzkopf
Gen. Colin Powell
Gen. James Riley
You can easily identify the first two. The commanding general of armed forces during Operation Desert Storm, and the other as the first black secretary of state. Both became household names, widely respected and sought after for their expertise. Gen. Riley was commanding general of 3rd Infantry Division, the most deployed division in the Army. He's since retired. He deserves and receives respect for who he is. Reaching the rank of General is no easy task, much LESS Lt.Gen as he was. We respect him. We honor his service. Doors open, carpets roll out, and we listen as he gives us lessons in history......
History.
No one is seeking him out to discuss modern day tactics. Same with (a man who sits down to breakfast every day with G-d, himself) Gen George S. Patton. A TANKER'S tanker, until the day he died. If he was alive today, he could tell us all day about WWII, WWI, his campaigns in Africa, a TRUE badass who once ran out of gas, so he RAN ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD and commanded his tanks in an entire engagement, then walked with 5 gal gas cans to the next town to get fuel, walked back, refueled his tank and got back in the fight......But he couldn't tell me about the M1A1, or hell even the M48A5 MBT or tactics. He's yesterday's hero.
Why am I going through all of this?
There are a LOT of hip-hop artists today, who deserve and receive honors, accolades, respect, for paving the way and making this dream called hip-hop into a reality. They made their contribution, and retired, or were phased out. You receive RESPECT....but in the long run, if you aren't actively recording and doing so in a manor that makes you relevant in today's hip-hop, no one is going to listen to you for anything other than a history lesson, or to show respect. Want proof?
That young artist who took a pic with you, and showed you love......did he ask you to make a record with him? Did he present you to his label? Did he do anything besides take a pic and show you love?
Let's start being real with ourselves. Being yesterday's star doesn't really pay today's bills. So, how does this change? Start with my concept of "retire yesterday". Retire Yesterday doesn't mean what you think. It actually means, get off of the Old School, retirement home circuit. Get your shit together and start making TODAY'S music. Make that hottest shit, and become a name known to KIDS TODAY!! Recreate yourself. Get with those who will be honest with you, and listen to them. The top fashion consultants, hair dressers, producers, beat creators, and let them re-create you. Don't fight them. "I KNOW my shit!" word? What's your latest joint on the radio?
All i'm saying is, let's get you up to speed TODAY. That is my vision. But the first thing you'll have to do, is Retire Yesterday. Then start writing again, get your chops back. Don't go trying to sound all hip like today's kids. It's fake and you'll become a joke. Write MATURE music, but music that can still be felt, danced and headbobbed to or that puts across a real message.
I will help any way that I can. But i'm going to be harsh with the truth, because you'll never do it with someone pumping sunshine up your ass. Iron sharpens Iron.
"Retire Yesterday, and be relevant today"
Peace
I can be reached at 574-849-4494, bit.ly/OdadTruthRecrds , or lion@trueschoolent.com
I want to make a point here, popular (with some) or not (with others).
The rap game is very much like the mafia. You're only as good as this week's envelope. Everyone wants to know what you're doing TODAY. People give respect to many rap veterans because they laid the foundation of hip hop, and put in the blood, sweat, and tears to get rap recognized as a lasting art and form of music, and not a fad. That's awesome! Every single veteran in the game deserves recognition as such, and to be respected and appreciated. Just like our military veterans deserve respect for their selfless sacrifice, and for even paying the ultimate price for our freedoms. I AM IN NO WAY IMPLYING THAT RAP ARTISTS ARE IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS OUR MILITARY VETS...now, sit down, shut up, and watch where i'm going with this. I'm making the comparison, leading up to something else, fucko.
Every veteran deserves respect and recognition, but that doesn't automatically mean that they are necessarily "leadership material" or that they will go on to a noteworthy career and accomplish great things in the military. People will listen to them to hear their history, and out of respect.
Let's get a little closer to where i'm going.....
3 names I want to present to you....
Gen. Norman Shwarzkopf
Gen. Colin Powell
Gen. James Riley
You can easily identify the first two. The commanding general of armed forces during Operation Desert Storm, and the other as the first black secretary of state. Both became household names, widely respected and sought after for their expertise. Gen. Riley was commanding general of 3rd Infantry Division, the most deployed division in the Army. He's since retired. He deserves and receives respect for who he is. Reaching the rank of General is no easy task, much LESS Lt.Gen as he was. We respect him. We honor his service. Doors open, carpets roll out, and we listen as he gives us lessons in history......
History.
No one is seeking him out to discuss modern day tactics. Same with (a man who sits down to breakfast every day with G-d, himself) Gen George S. Patton. A TANKER'S tanker, until the day he died. If he was alive today, he could tell us all day about WWII, WWI, his campaigns in Africa, a TRUE badass who once ran out of gas, so he RAN ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD and commanded his tanks in an entire engagement, then walked with 5 gal gas cans to the next town to get fuel, walked back, refueled his tank and got back in the fight......But he couldn't tell me about the M1A1, or hell even the M48A5 MBT or tactics. He's yesterday's hero.
Why am I going through all of this?
There are a LOT of hip-hop artists today, who deserve and receive honors, accolades, respect, for paving the way and making this dream called hip-hop into a reality. They made their contribution, and retired, or were phased out. You receive RESPECT....but in the long run, if you aren't actively recording and doing so in a manor that makes you relevant in today's hip-hop, no one is going to listen to you for anything other than a history lesson, or to show respect. Want proof?
That young artist who took a pic with you, and showed you love......did he ask you to make a record with him? Did he present you to his label? Did he do anything besides take a pic and show you love?
Let's start being real with ourselves. Being yesterday's star doesn't really pay today's bills. So, how does this change? Start with my concept of "retire yesterday". Retire Yesterday doesn't mean what you think. It actually means, get off of the Old School, retirement home circuit. Get your shit together and start making TODAY'S music. Make that hottest shit, and become a name known to KIDS TODAY!! Recreate yourself. Get with those who will be honest with you, and listen to them. The top fashion consultants, hair dressers, producers, beat creators, and let them re-create you. Don't fight them. "I KNOW my shit!" word? What's your latest joint on the radio?
All i'm saying is, let's get you up to speed TODAY. That is my vision. But the first thing you'll have to do, is Retire Yesterday. Then start writing again, get your chops back. Don't go trying to sound all hip like today's kids. It's fake and you'll become a joke. Write MATURE music, but music that can still be felt, danced and headbobbed to or that puts across a real message.
I will help any way that I can. But i'm going to be harsh with the truth, because you'll never do it with someone pumping sunshine up your ass. Iron sharpens Iron.
"Retire Yesterday, and be relevant today"
Peace
I can be reached at 574-849-4494, bit.ly/OdadTruthRecrds , or lion@trueschoolent.com
Monday, February 1, 2016
Humor me....if you have REAL musical taste, you'll be glad you did
Chances are, you've seen one of my heroes.....and laughed at him. "LOOK at that RIDICULOUS HAIR!!"
Behind that hair, is a socially awkward, semi-insecure, paranoid, neurotic fucking GENIUS! Not ONLY is he an absolute GOD on the guitar (or guitars, as on Welcome Home )....
......but you have to know a bit of the Coheed and Cambria background. You see, Claudio writes a series of graphic novels, called "The Amory Wars".
The couple you see standing on the cover here, are Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon, and the short version is that they live in a universe known as Heavens Fence which consists of 78 planets held together by "interconnecting beams of energy known as 'The Keywork'". They have 4 children, the twins Matthew and Maria, Josephine, and Claudio. Turns out, that Claudio is "The Crowing" (read Messiah) and will bring about the end of days, and wow there is just so much to this story.....why does it at all matter??
I'm glad you asked.....
You see, ya know how Pink Floyd's "The Wall" was a concept album? Well, the BAND Coheed and Camria, are a concept band. Every song, through the first 8 albums, are allegorical and tell the story of The Amory Wars. Subtly, but if you know the story, you pick up how the songs relate. So, Claudio Sanchez writes these (call them comic books and I'll punch you in the throat) graphic novels, and has a band to play what is essentially the soundtrack. Pretty fucking genius, no?
BUT WAIT! There's MORE!
Claudio has a side-project band that is mostly electronica and acoustic music. The band is called The Prize Fighter Inferno.............guess who Inferno is! GUESS, FUCKERS!!!!! Inferno, is Jesse, Coheed's brother. SO, PFI ALSO is a concept band, telling a side-story to the main story of the universe...the whole thing has been picked up by Mark Wahlberg's production company and is in pre-production. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! Talk about MARKETING GENIUS!
I said all that, to share with you all, this song. Please take a moment to listen to this incredible man and his incredible band. Share your thoughts with me! Did it make you check them out some more? Propel you to look up other songs of their? Then I'm thrilled. Welcome to being a Child of The Fence (what we, the loyal fans, are referred to. I am recognized as "The Elder Statesman of Heaven's Fence", among the children. I"m probably the oldest HUGE fan they have lol)
If it didn't make you listen some more...if you didn't like the music....then you hate your mother, kick puppies, and since Claudio is Puerto Rican, you're a fuckin racist to boot.
Good night you little bastards. I love you all.
The End Complete V- On The Brink
Behind that hair, is a socially awkward, semi-insecure, paranoid, neurotic fucking GENIUS! Not ONLY is he an absolute GOD on the guitar (or guitars, as on Welcome Home )....
......but you have to know a bit of the Coheed and Cambria background. You see, Claudio writes a series of graphic novels, called "The Amory Wars".
I'm glad you asked.....
You see, ya know how Pink Floyd's "The Wall" was a concept album? Well, the BAND Coheed and Camria, are a concept band. Every song, through the first 8 albums, are allegorical and tell the story of The Amory Wars. Subtly, but if you know the story, you pick up how the songs relate. So, Claudio Sanchez writes these (call them comic books and I'll punch you in the throat) graphic novels, and has a band to play what is essentially the soundtrack. Pretty fucking genius, no?
BUT WAIT! There's MORE!
Claudio has a side-project band that is mostly electronica and acoustic music. The band is called The Prize Fighter Inferno.............guess who Inferno is! GUESS, FUCKERS!!!!! Inferno, is Jesse, Coheed's brother. SO, PFI ALSO is a concept band, telling a side-story to the main story of the universe...the whole thing has been picked up by Mark Wahlberg's production company and is in pre-production. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! Talk about MARKETING GENIUS!
I said all that, to share with you all, this song. Please take a moment to listen to this incredible man and his incredible band. Share your thoughts with me! Did it make you check them out some more? Propel you to look up other songs of their? Then I'm thrilled. Welcome to being a Child of The Fence (what we, the loyal fans, are referred to. I am recognized as "The Elder Statesman of Heaven's Fence", among the children. I"m probably the oldest HUGE fan they have lol)
If it didn't make you listen some more...if you didn't like the music....then you hate your mother, kick puppies, and since Claudio is Puerto Rican, you're a fuckin racist to boot.
Good night you little bastards. I love you all.
Monday, January 25, 2016
The keyword being "Social".....
Anything that I write here, is done so for a few different reasons. First and foremost, it's to vent. This is my spot to say whatever the fuck I feel like, about any topic that I choose. My place to rage, and let out all of the darkness that overtakes my thoughts at times. That's first.
Second, is to interact with you. To show you a little bit of what's behind ME. Why do I do things that I do? Why do I work in the industry I work in? Why do I get so frustrated when things are out of order. But I said interact WITH you, not AT you. I want your feedback. I'm interested in your point of view as well!
So, when you take the time to read what I write, you clearly are interested for one reason or another. Either you're curious about me, you're wanting to understand me, you love me, you are entertained, or you're a hater....no matter how you slice it, you're interested. Need proof? What are you doing right this second? Reading THIS.
So, let me know where you stand. Message me, post comments, or if you really don't want anyone (including me) to know who you are, click on "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" depending on your perspective. Whatever your reasons, thanks for reading.
Second, is to interact with you. To show you a little bit of what's behind ME. Why do I do things that I do? Why do I work in the industry I work in? Why do I get so frustrated when things are out of order. But I said interact WITH you, not AT you. I want your feedback. I'm interested in your point of view as well!
So, when you take the time to read what I write, you clearly are interested for one reason or another. Either you're curious about me, you're wanting to understand me, you love me, you are entertained, or you're a hater....no matter how you slice it, you're interested. Need proof? What are you doing right this second? Reading THIS.
So, let me know where you stand. Message me, post comments, or if you really don't want anyone (including me) to know who you are, click on "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" depending on your perspective. Whatever your reasons, thanks for reading.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
In my opion, which i'll keep to myself....
I was talking with a colleague quite a while back, and the subject of a particular artist came up. I expressed my opinion, something along the lines of "talentless, ugly little girl". My colleague stopped and said "Do not EVER say something like that again." She was right. Who knows who may hear your comment and take it back to the person you insulted. What would happen if I was suddenly in a position to NEED to work with that person, and they knew what opinion I had expressed? How would that effect my career or future income? (Fact, I don't actually know the person I was referring to, and should never have said that.) More importantly, what if one of my clients or artists needed to work with them or something. How could MY bullshit have affected someone ELSE'S future? You see, I have learned a few things in my 17 years in the industry. First and foremost, this is a VERY small "village". Everyone either knows everyone or is one person removed from knowing everyone. Second, not everyone who smiles at you or laughs with you is your friend. They'll turn on your in a hot second and throw you right under the bus, if it serves their agenda.
Third, you simply never know. You never know who you're talking to or who they may know or even be loyal to! Bizzy Bone has one of the ILLEST lines in all of hip hop along this topic. "I've got people that you trust, who need some green, and really DON'T love you!". Think on that for just a moment. Yeaaaah, you get it. That was EXACTLY my response. People that have fooled you into thinking they're on your side, but actually despise you, and will sell you faster than you can ever imagine.
"Yeah, well, I live in Adams, N.D. Aint nobody here know nobody". Really? Ya think so, huh? Uh, ok....let me fill you in a bit here, Snidely. I live and run my company in a very VERY small town in N.W. Indiana, called Middlebury. My wife owns another business in an even SMALLER town called Shipshewana, where I go help her on occasion. Small, amish towns, "where everybody knows your name", kinda place. But, I run record label and entertainment corporation, from right here in my home/office, in this little tiny town. I deal, on a daily basis, with celebrities of the caliber of Chuck D (Public Enemy), Daddy-O, Kangol Kid, Sir Mixalot, and more. I converse and conduct business with major labels, publishing companies, fortune 500 companies, movie stars, directors, publicists, managers, struggling artists and millionaires. But you wouldn't necessarily know that. I'm not bragging here. What i'm trying to illustrate is, if you didn't know me, and somehow Rapper XYZ was in the news because he beat up his babymama (a term I fucking HATE, btw), and you decided to run your mouth, the shit you spout off could very well end up in MC XYZ's ear. I'm illustrating that, you don't know who you're talking to. EVER.
So, the lesson i've taken from all of this is as follows -
I wont say i'll keep my opinions to myself. If you know me, you'd call bullshit if I did. But I am hyper aware of what I'm saying about whom, and keep names out to protect my OWN ass. So, if you ask me about so and so, and I say "I'm a fan of their success", I'm still being honest. Because even those who aren't famous, just notorious, still have achieved enough success at just being an attention-whore, that YOU are talking about them. Remember that one thing, boys and girls. Even if you're talking about what a loser they are, how full of shit they are, how conceited they are, what an asshole this one is, and what a whore that one is....you're still talking about them.
They've done what they set out to do
Third, you simply never know. You never know who you're talking to or who they may know or even be loyal to! Bizzy Bone has one of the ILLEST lines in all of hip hop along this topic. "I've got people that you trust, who need some green, and really DON'T love you!". Think on that for just a moment. Yeaaaah, you get it. That was EXACTLY my response. People that have fooled you into thinking they're on your side, but actually despise you, and will sell you faster than you can ever imagine.
"Yeah, well, I live in Adams, N.D. Aint nobody here know nobody". Really? Ya think so, huh? Uh, ok....let me fill you in a bit here, Snidely. I live and run my company in a very VERY small town in N.W. Indiana, called Middlebury. My wife owns another business in an even SMALLER town called Shipshewana, where I go help her on occasion. Small, amish towns, "where everybody knows your name", kinda place. But, I run record label and entertainment corporation, from right here in my home/office, in this little tiny town. I deal, on a daily basis, with celebrities of the caliber of Chuck D (Public Enemy), Daddy-O, Kangol Kid, Sir Mixalot, and more. I converse and conduct business with major labels, publishing companies, fortune 500 companies, movie stars, directors, publicists, managers, struggling artists and millionaires. But you wouldn't necessarily know that. I'm not bragging here. What i'm trying to illustrate is, if you didn't know me, and somehow Rapper XYZ was in the news because he beat up his babymama (a term I fucking HATE, btw), and you decided to run your mouth, the shit you spout off could very well end up in MC XYZ's ear. I'm illustrating that, you don't know who you're talking to. EVER.
So, the lesson i've taken from all of this is as follows -
I wont say i'll keep my opinions to myself. If you know me, you'd call bullshit if I did. But I am hyper aware of what I'm saying about whom, and keep names out to protect my OWN ass. So, if you ask me about so and so, and I say "I'm a fan of their success", I'm still being honest. Because even those who aren't famous, just notorious, still have achieved enough success at just being an attention-whore, that YOU are talking about them. Remember that one thing, boys and girls. Even if you're talking about what a loser they are, how full of shit they are, how conceited they are, what an asshole this one is, and what a whore that one is....you're still talking about them.
They've done what they set out to do
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Full Circle
Dear Ramona High School Alumni, Class of '87, Teachers and Staff
Toldjall I would do it.
............you're right, Mr. Mercurio. My bad
Toldjall I would do it.
Shoutout to Mr. Mike Mercurio, my homeroom teacher who told me "You're a smartass, and all of your charm and flowery words are going to get you nowhere in life".....
US ARMY (Retired)
President of True School Entertainment
Co-Owner of Odad Truth Records
Business partner, friend, and manager to many of the Founding Fathers of Hip Hop
Father of 5
Grandfather of 2
Sincerely,
Wade C Lindwedel
Class of 1987....well would have been, but I dropped out in 1985 and just educated MYSELF instead!
PEACE
p.s. Dear any and all "outcasts" and "misfits"....fuck what they say about you. They said it about me too....now they will be paying me to let their kids come to my Tour. It all comes around. Keep your head up!
WCL
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