GREAT news. I can tell that John was not thrilled with the prospect of playing drums for some of the songs, as he's most comfortable on guitar and will have to make time to practice with me, but I think he prefers that option to me leaving the band.
I'm certain Digger prefers that option.
Paulito thinks I'm a good drummer and should be fine with the switch, but he doesn't want to deal with any drama.
There is drama between Eileen and myself, so I wrote her a huge e-mail, going over the instances in our past that caused strife. (Way too long to post here.) I feel very good about what I wrote. I did not apologize for anything I don't regret. I said that I would try to be more concerned about her feelings. I complimented her on her voice and her fit within TFA. There were no lies in the e-mail.
If she does not accept my apology, the band might be through. I don't think anyone wants to vote on who gets kicked out; that would likely cause Paul to split and the band to collapse. I could just quit, but now that I can work on guitar-playing with the band, I don't want to leave.
Eileen herself said that "females bring drama" when it comes to bands. I'm not happy that I'm on the other side of most (if not all) of these dramas, but here I am.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
TFA: maybe there's hope
I have a different feeling about the whole situation today.
For some reason, I felt like I had to clear my staying in the band with Eileen. Huh? Why would I have to do that? She may have the best voice in the band, but she also has the shortest tenure. Plus, it's not like we have to be best of buddies to coexist within the band. Plenty of bands couldn't get along but stayed together, even ones at our level of popularity. Look at Big Daddy and the Slurpies, the teacher band from Fairfax HS. Dave Carr (the bass player) did not like Shayne (the rhythm guitarist and singer) but put up with him. (Then again, once he and I had a blow-out, the band was done. Dangit. Again I'm involved.)
And Eileen and I have gotten along most of the time. This should blow over. She's upset that I posted an anti-gig thing on Facebook and had Dan play on-stage with us; I'm upset that she bitched me out on stage. Maybe we can call it a draw and promise not to go there again. (Although we've had Dan play with us many time before. No one saw her anger coming over that one.)
For me, I know that practically all of this drama stems from a break in the agreement for me to play guitar some of the time. GODDOG needs to return.
So I need to talk to John about it. I need to remind him that we originally agreed to bring him on, but that he and I would switch instruments for some of the songs.
If I could play guitar on second sets, I know my entire feeling about the band would change. I would get to be up in the front, finally. As a guitarist, I would have more say in what songs we play. (A lot of our songs start from a guitarist or Digger playing a lick from the song and the rest of us jamming along.) It's so much easier to sing while standing and playing a guitarist, compared to moving all four of your appendages while sitting on a small backless seat AND singing. Being able to actually see some of the audience would make me feel visible, important, vibrant. I would've LOVED to have danced with Paulito, Digger and Eileen on the dance floor while playing "Walking on Sunshine," but I was tethered to the the drums. John, on the other hand, didn't move. He's not that kind of guy, so being behind the drums for one set wouldn't feel like a cage to him.
And I know that my sourpuss would start going away. With this past gig, I was incensed that our promised outdoor gig was changed to indoors just two days prior. (It happened because the place had just been cited for too-loud-and-late outdoor entertainment.) Playing guitar for a set in ANY venue would be fun. I can't say the same about playing drums. Not for every song, anyway.
I'm willing to help John learn the drums. He keeps decent time, as long as the beat isn't anything strange. He has an idea of what drums and cymbals to hit at what time. He needs work on fills, but I think he can learn it just from repetition, such as listening to the recorded version of the song a lot and playing along with it. I'd be happy to be his drum tutor, once a week, free of charge. If he got his old drum kit into his place, I'd even be willing to make house calls some of the time.
But all I want is to return to the previous agreement. Three years have gone by. I don't need appropriations, just a realignment to what was said to be right. If John agrees to it, I'm staying in this band. If he doesn't, then maybe we can look at Gumby also getting better on drums. Either way, I need to play guitar for some songs, and none of this "okay, Dave, you can play that Britney song while we all take a break." No no. I want to play guitar with the band. I dream of that and have done so for years. This band should be a way for us middle-aged suburbanites to live our dreams. Can't I live it too?
For some reason, I felt like I had to clear my staying in the band with Eileen. Huh? Why would I have to do that? She may have the best voice in the band, but she also has the shortest tenure. Plus, it's not like we have to be best of buddies to coexist within the band. Plenty of bands couldn't get along but stayed together, even ones at our level of popularity. Look at Big Daddy and the Slurpies, the teacher band from Fairfax HS. Dave Carr (the bass player) did not like Shayne (the rhythm guitarist and singer) but put up with him. (Then again, once he and I had a blow-out, the band was done. Dangit. Again I'm involved.)
And Eileen and I have gotten along most of the time. This should blow over. She's upset that I posted an anti-gig thing on Facebook and had Dan play on-stage with us; I'm upset that she bitched me out on stage. Maybe we can call it a draw and promise not to go there again. (Although we've had Dan play with us many time before. No one saw her anger coming over that one.)
For me, I know that practically all of this drama stems from a break in the agreement for me to play guitar some of the time. GODDOG needs to return.
So I need to talk to John about it. I need to remind him that we originally agreed to bring him on, but that he and I would switch instruments for some of the songs.
If I could play guitar on second sets, I know my entire feeling about the band would change. I would get to be up in the front, finally. As a guitarist, I would have more say in what songs we play. (A lot of our songs start from a guitarist or Digger playing a lick from the song and the rest of us jamming along.) It's so much easier to sing while standing and playing a guitarist, compared to moving all four of your appendages while sitting on a small backless seat AND singing. Being able to actually see some of the audience would make me feel visible, important, vibrant. I would've LOVED to have danced with Paulito, Digger and Eileen on the dance floor while playing "Walking on Sunshine," but I was tethered to the the drums. John, on the other hand, didn't move. He's not that kind of guy, so being behind the drums for one set wouldn't feel like a cage to him.
And I know that my sourpuss would start going away. With this past gig, I was incensed that our promised outdoor gig was changed to indoors just two days prior. (It happened because the place had just been cited for too-loud-and-late outdoor entertainment.) Playing guitar for a set in ANY venue would be fun. I can't say the same about playing drums. Not for every song, anyway.
I'm willing to help John learn the drums. He keeps decent time, as long as the beat isn't anything strange. He has an idea of what drums and cymbals to hit at what time. He needs work on fills, but I think he can learn it just from repetition, such as listening to the recorded version of the song a lot and playing along with it. I'd be happy to be his drum tutor, once a week, free of charge. If he got his old drum kit into his place, I'd even be willing to make house calls some of the time.
But all I want is to return to the previous agreement. Three years have gone by. I don't need appropriations, just a realignment to what was said to be right. If John agrees to it, I'm staying in this band. If he doesn't, then maybe we can look at Gumby also getting better on drums. Either way, I need to play guitar for some songs, and none of this "okay, Dave, you can play that Britney song while we all take a break." No no. I want to play guitar with the band. I dream of that and have done so for years. This band should be a way for us middle-aged suburbanites to live our dreams. Can't I live it too?
Monday, August 29, 2011
TFA no more?
Only three other people are aware that I post as The Outliar, and one of them is in my current band, Ted From Accounting, so this might not be the best place to post these thoughts, but I'll do it anyway.
It's looking like my time with TFA is drawing to a close. I don't really want that to happen, but the current situation is so frustrating for me that I'd rather leave than maintain status quo.
There's a lot of drama in the band right now, and all of it involves me in some way. The thing is that I hate the drama. A little change from the routine is fun, but there's no way I want all of this bad feeling.
I think that it was guaranteed this day would come, once I said that I'd play drums. Once Paul Sabre left the group, Digger and Paulito asked me if I would like to switch to guitar while we look for another drummer. In short, yes, that is what I wanted. But I didn't choose that option because Paulito's neighbor was hosting our jams, acting as a roadie for us, and was a nice guy with some guitar-playing experience who appeared to desperately want to join the group.
So I said that we'd be better off with me on drums and John on guitar than me on guitar and some unknown person on drums.
However, I made it clear at the very beginning that I wanted to play guitar some of the time - about one-third is what I envisioned - and that it would be much appreciated if John were to play drums for some of the songs. He agreed. But he never worked at it. He's not a terrible drummer, but he could use some practice, and practice outside of our gatherings is something that John never does. (Digger's the only member I know that practices outside our gatherings, though I'm certain that Paulito works on a song until he's got it, then retains it. He doesn't need to practice, in other words. I have no clue about Eileen's practice ethic, though I know that I asked her to learn "Don't Give Up" months ago, and she has yet to do it.)
We tried playing "I Can't Explain" by The Who with GODDOG (that's guitarist on drums and drummer on guitar), but John would never get a couple of critical parts correctly. Could John have learned the part correctly if he practiced with me, something I have always been willing to do? I don't know and will probably never know.
We tried GODDOG one more time, about a year and a half ago, but it always sounded bad. It was a big drop-off, since a drummer has to have confidence in what they're doing. Perhaps my guitar-playing left a lot to be desired. Who knows. In any case, it sounded bad and I had to pull the plug.
Combine that with my frustrations over being stuck in the back, not being able to move around and work with the crowd, and having such little say in what songs we play and how few songs I sing, and it's gotten to a head.
I want the band to help me. I want them to care. I want them to say that they're willing to make me happy, learn "Valerie" and "No Time To Lose" and even "Reptile" and have John learns his drum part better.I want them to recognize that it's lonely back there, and that they should include me more, come back to jam with me during a gig, and tell me "nice job" every now and then, the way I tell them.
But I'm responsible for a big part of this too. I've always been one that craves positive reinforcement, and most of the band does not give it. (Or do they and I just don't hear it?) It irks me, but I have to recognize that they're just not the type of people to pat others on the back. I need to not need it, if that makes sense. If the only way the band can stay intact is with me on the drums for every song, I need help in appreciating that.
If someone else is having a rough go of it, I need to not take it personally. Eileen lashed out at me during Saturday night's gig over having Dan (aka Gumby) come up and play drums on two songs. I did it because I wanted to spend a little time with my wife, who was sitting alone most of the night. I wanted to hear the overall sound of the band. There were other reasons, but all of them had good intent, and had I known that she would've been upset over it, I would have begrudgingly not done it. I thought I was being a nice guy! Why can't I play well with others, no matter how hard I try?
Anyway, I told Digger all of these things over brunch today. I think he sees the hopelessness of the situation, but might schedule a meeting with Eileen and myself. Eileen holds firm to her opinions, but maybe we can see each other's point of view and maybe work out something where I can be happier and not such a drag on the band.
If I had a job, this band thing would seem less important, and that alone would make it easier to deal with. But apart from my marriage, TFA is the only thing I can brag about. I don't want to lose it, but I also have to feel good about that which I'm bragging.
Okay, I feel good about this description. I think I'll share it with Digger. As it stands, I don't think anyone else in the band wants to hear it. Digger's been a good friend over the years and will continue to be.
It's looking like my time with TFA is drawing to a close. I don't really want that to happen, but the current situation is so frustrating for me that I'd rather leave than maintain status quo.
There's a lot of drama in the band right now, and all of it involves me in some way. The thing is that I hate the drama. A little change from the routine is fun, but there's no way I want all of this bad feeling.
I think that it was guaranteed this day would come, once I said that I'd play drums. Once Paul Sabre left the group, Digger and Paulito asked me if I would like to switch to guitar while we look for another drummer. In short, yes, that is what I wanted. But I didn't choose that option because Paulito's neighbor was hosting our jams, acting as a roadie for us, and was a nice guy with some guitar-playing experience who appeared to desperately want to join the group.
So I said that we'd be better off with me on drums and John on guitar than me on guitar and some unknown person on drums.
However, I made it clear at the very beginning that I wanted to play guitar some of the time - about one-third is what I envisioned - and that it would be much appreciated if John were to play drums for some of the songs. He agreed. But he never worked at it. He's not a terrible drummer, but he could use some practice, and practice outside of our gatherings is something that John never does. (Digger's the only member I know that practices outside our gatherings, though I'm certain that Paulito works on a song until he's got it, then retains it. He doesn't need to practice, in other words. I have no clue about Eileen's practice ethic, though I know that I asked her to learn "Don't Give Up" months ago, and she has yet to do it.)
We tried playing "I Can't Explain" by The Who with GODDOG (that's guitarist on drums and drummer on guitar), but John would never get a couple of critical parts correctly. Could John have learned the part correctly if he practiced with me, something I have always been willing to do? I don't know and will probably never know.
We tried GODDOG one more time, about a year and a half ago, but it always sounded bad. It was a big drop-off, since a drummer has to have confidence in what they're doing. Perhaps my guitar-playing left a lot to be desired. Who knows. In any case, it sounded bad and I had to pull the plug.
Combine that with my frustrations over being stuck in the back, not being able to move around and work with the crowd, and having such little say in what songs we play and how few songs I sing, and it's gotten to a head.
I want the band to help me. I want them to care. I want them to say that they're willing to make me happy, learn "Valerie" and "No Time To Lose" and even "Reptile" and have John learns his drum part better.I want them to recognize that it's lonely back there, and that they should include me more, come back to jam with me during a gig, and tell me "nice job" every now and then, the way I tell them.
But I'm responsible for a big part of this too. I've always been one that craves positive reinforcement, and most of the band does not give it. (Or do they and I just don't hear it?) It irks me, but I have to recognize that they're just not the type of people to pat others on the back. I need to not need it, if that makes sense. If the only way the band can stay intact is with me on the drums for every song, I need help in appreciating that.
If someone else is having a rough go of it, I need to not take it personally. Eileen lashed out at me during Saturday night's gig over having Dan (aka Gumby) come up and play drums on two songs. I did it because I wanted to spend a little time with my wife, who was sitting alone most of the night. I wanted to hear the overall sound of the band. There were other reasons, but all of them had good intent, and had I known that she would've been upset over it, I would have begrudgingly not done it. I thought I was being a nice guy! Why can't I play well with others, no matter how hard I try?
Anyway, I told Digger all of these things over brunch today. I think he sees the hopelessness of the situation, but might schedule a meeting with Eileen and myself. Eileen holds firm to her opinions, but maybe we can see each other's point of view and maybe work out something where I can be happier and not such a drag on the band.
If I had a job, this band thing would seem less important, and that alone would make it easier to deal with. But apart from my marriage, TFA is the only thing I can brag about. I don't want to lose it, but I also have to feel good about that which I'm bragging.
Okay, I feel good about this description. I think I'll share it with Digger. As it stands, I don't think anyone else in the band wants to hear it. Digger's been a good friend over the years and will continue to be.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
New high, new songs
First, I gotta suggest to the band that we play "No Time To Lose" by the Tarney-Spencer Band, now that I have an .mp3 of it. Along with "Valerie," I'm going to STRONGLY suggest that we learn them, and if not, it'll make it easy for me to see that my voice isn't being heard, and that I should go elsewhere to have a voice.
Hey! I bowled a 219 today! How strange that it happened this week, after I've been bowling so terribly and missing my spots so often. But I changed a few things, which felt natural.
First, I washed my bowling ball in the dishwasher. Strange, I know, but it worked like a charm. I didn't realize just how oily was ball was, and since it had so little friction going down the lanes, I was overcompensating and throwing everything else out of whack.
Also, I started taking my time with my final step. I do a small skip with my third and fourth steps, then wait a little before putting my last step out.
And I was really feeling the ball come out of my thumb before my fingers, and I could consistently feel the fingers putting a good spin on the ball. I had my hand at a 60-degree angle or so (no degrees would be straight toward the pins) and I may have been flicking my wrist, pushing my fingers toward the forearm, at the release. Not sure about that part, but all I know is that I had a nice strike ball going for me today.
It took about two games to find it. My first game was only 110, but my second was about 150. (I don't actually remember.) The third was 183. Here's the fourth game:
X X 5/ 90 9/ X X X X 9/7
Again, I have yet to bowl an open-frame-free game. I couldn't make standing tens today to save my soul. And I finished with a 150, accidentally bowling one extra ball at the end that seemed to make all ten pins explode away from the ball at once.
And now I'm studying my actuarial math, and for once, it's making sense. Man, I'm on a roll.
When I informed Margie about the ball washing and the result, her response was "That's great news! Wash the basketball so I can dunk!" I love this woman.
Hey! I bowled a 219 today! How strange that it happened this week, after I've been bowling so terribly and missing my spots so often. But I changed a few things, which felt natural.
First, I washed my bowling ball in the dishwasher. Strange, I know, but it worked like a charm. I didn't realize just how oily was ball was, and since it had so little friction going down the lanes, I was overcompensating and throwing everything else out of whack.
Also, I started taking my time with my final step. I do a small skip with my third and fourth steps, then wait a little before putting my last step out.
And I was really feeling the ball come out of my thumb before my fingers, and I could consistently feel the fingers putting a good spin on the ball. I had my hand at a 60-degree angle or so (no degrees would be straight toward the pins) and I may have been flicking my wrist, pushing my fingers toward the forearm, at the release. Not sure about that part, but all I know is that I had a nice strike ball going for me today.
It took about two games to find it. My first game was only 110, but my second was about 150. (I don't actually remember.) The third was 183. Here's the fourth game:
X X 5/ 90 9/ X X X X 9/7
Again, I have yet to bowl an open-frame-free game. I couldn't make standing tens today to save my soul. And I finished with a 150, accidentally bowling one extra ball at the end that seemed to make all ten pins explode away from the ball at once.
And now I'm studying my actuarial math, and for once, it's making sense. Man, I'm on a roll.
When I informed Margie about the ball washing and the result, her response was "That's great news! Wash the basketball so I can dunk!" I love this woman.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
El Toro
I've been a huge Cubs fan, and my love for them gets bigger nearly every year. But I have to give it up somehow, because they keep breaking my heart. And not just because they're historically bad, but because they continue to show any ability to get better.
My favorite player on the team is Carlos Zambrano. I will admit this. There are plenty of fans who hate the guy, and now more than ever, thanks to an incident in Friday's game against the Braves which I'll discuss in a bit. But Carlos has always had great talent and has worn his heart on his sleeve. I believe that he's been a bigger Cubs fan than I have been since he joined the team as a very young player in 2001.
By the way, Carlos is mostly known as "Big Z," but that's a lame nickname. I prefer "El Toro." The bull. Carlos is huge. I don't think anyone's ever charged the mound on him, likely because no one would even consider taking him on in a fight.
Carlos is a very emotional guy. If the camera pans to the dugout and a smile is seen, it's likely his. He always pays close attention to the game and, I believe, gets along well with others. Unless he's pitching. Then he has trouble at times.
He has gotten into some nasty skirmishes with players on his own team. All of them have been well-documented by Chicago sports writers, many of whom hate the guy so much that they'll hop on any little thing. They'll call him "stupid," "crazy" and a "clubhouse cancer," and not just in opinion articles. (Why it's now unacceptable to call someone "retarded" but still allow those other terms is beyond me.) Toro has gotten a raw deal from the media in Chicago for years.
Anyway, Carlos was pitching against the Braves on Friday, a game that I missed because I was traveling this past weekend. And I've been reading a lot about the game, in an attempt to piece together what really happened. Here's my take:
Quade decided to rip Carlos in the postgame conference, claiming that he walked out on his team (though he had already gotten thrown out). GM Jim Hendry then gave Carlos a similar tongue-lashing, before putting him on the Disqualified List (whatever the hell that is) for a month.
So anyway, here's what I think is really going on.
Whichever team picks up El Toro will be getting one new fan.
My favorite player on the team is Carlos Zambrano. I will admit this. There are plenty of fans who hate the guy, and now more than ever, thanks to an incident in Friday's game against the Braves which I'll discuss in a bit. But Carlos has always had great talent and has worn his heart on his sleeve. I believe that he's been a bigger Cubs fan than I have been since he joined the team as a very young player in 2001.
By the way, Carlos is mostly known as "Big Z," but that's a lame nickname. I prefer "El Toro." The bull. Carlos is huge. I don't think anyone's ever charged the mound on him, likely because no one would even consider taking him on in a fight.
Carlos is a very emotional guy. If the camera pans to the dugout and a smile is seen, it's likely his. He always pays close attention to the game and, I believe, gets along well with others. Unless he's pitching. Then he has trouble at times.
He has gotten into some nasty skirmishes with players on his own team. All of them have been well-documented by Chicago sports writers, many of whom hate the guy so much that they'll hop on any little thing. They'll call him "stupid," "crazy" and a "clubhouse cancer," and not just in opinion articles. (Why it's now unacceptable to call someone "retarded" but still allow those other terms is beyond me.) Toro has gotten a raw deal from the media in Chicago for years.
Anyway, Carlos was pitching against the Braves on Friday, a game that I missed because I was traveling this past weekend. And I've been reading a lot about the game, in an attempt to piece together what really happened. Here's my take:
- Zambrano had nothing. Even though he threw great the last three starts with an ERA under 2, this was not his night. He was getting hammered, giving up five homers in his 4 1/3 innings of work.
- In the fifth, after giving up his fourth homer, it was obvious to everyone not named Mike Quade that he had nothing and needed replacement. But Quade didn't get the bullpen going. Even the Braves announcers were in disbelief.
- Zambrano gave up yet another homer, but still no bullpen action.
- Pitching coach Mark Riggins came out to talk to Zambrano and catcher Geovany Soto. We'll never know what was said.
- Zambrano then proceeded to throw two pitches to Chipper Jones, both of which were very close to hitting him. Soto set up inside on both pitches. Zambrano was thrown out after the second pitch, at which point he showed little disgust at the ejection and started walking straight towards the dugout.
Quade decided to rip Carlos in the postgame conference, claiming that he walked out on his team (though he had already gotten thrown out). GM Jim Hendry then gave Carlos a similar tongue-lashing, before putting him on the Disqualified List (whatever the hell that is) for a month.
So anyway, here's what I think is really going on.
- Zambrano has been getting away with emotional outbursts for years. The Cubs have only done one thing in ten years to curtail it; they suspended him last year after his screaming episode in the dugout during a bad start of his, which was again blown up by sports writers. He underwent anger management counseling, only to come back and be very effective the last two months of 2010.
- Despite his talents, Zambrano's needed a calming influence, which he has not gotten for a long time. The Cubs' last two managers haven't helped: Lou Piniella was a fiery guy but then basically quit on the team, and Mike Quade completely over his head, letting all of his veterans get away with lackadaisical play, consistent getting outcoached during the game, and preferring to be buddy-buddy with most of the players instead of leading.
- Zambrano has not been a fan of Quade, as he sees a manager that won't bring a winner to this team. Other players put up with it, but Zambrano has shown a few small bristlings about it. Is this unprofessional? Yes. It sucks to have a lousy boss, but there are better ways to handle it than we've seen from him.
- Quade refused to pull him from the game. Again, Toro had nothing. Why still be in the game? Why not at least warm up a relief pitcher?
- Carlos decided that he had to take matters into his own hands, so he got himself kicked out of the game. It's possible that Carlos just missed poorly on both pitches to Chipper, but I doubt it. He wanted out because his manager wouldn't pull him.
- He got even more emotional in the clubhouse and decided that he might as well leave. Only Alfonso Soriano talked to him after the game and had some criticism which I believe was warranted. But Carlos is a starting pitcher; he wasn't going to play again that series. And he told some clubhouse people on the way out that maybe he should just retire.
- Quade goes to the press and says that Carlos said he'd retire. As Quade got this info second-hand, it was another bit of proof that he's not cut out to be the main guy; he may be a good third-base coach, but this level of responsibility is too much for him.
- Jim Hendry knows that, if this all turns against Quade, his own job might be in danger. So he takes a strong stance, much like he did with Milton Bradley.
- Zambrano was upset but calmed down. But seeing how his manager and GM have blown it out of proportion, doesn't know what to do.
Whichever team picks up El Toro will be getting one new fan.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Keep it in Lombard
On the way home from bowling, I had what I think is the greatest idea I've had in a long while.
Remember that "Where's George" site? A reminder: it asks people to enter their dollar bill's serial number on the site, stating where they got it. Then those people are asked to spend it, but not without writing "Where's George" on the bill itself.
The site's goal is to have people see all the places where the bill got spent. It is amazing to see how far a dollar bill travels, often hopping through a handful of states. It also makes me wonder where the black holes are. By "black holes," I mean the places where that currency never leaves. Is it in someone's spare change jar? Is it swapped back and forth at a friendly poker game? Or is the giant black hole somewhere outside our borders?
(I suppose people don't take the piece of paper itself and move it to an off-shore bank account. But the value inherent in the bill is often taken far away from its original location, and when it leaves, it hardly ever returns.
Contrast this notion with my desire to urge Lombardians of the value of their money, and how it continues to help the community if it stays in the community.
So I give you the following site: Keep It In Lombard dot org. I'm not sold on the site's name - perhaps it should be "spent it here dot org" or "keep it here dot com," with a /IL/lombard after it, just in case this idea really takes off.
Or not. Just go with a personalized URL. I doubt I could ever make any money off this idea; it appears that the "Where's George" site only makes enough to keep the site afloat.
My goal is for every Lombardian to get a dollar bill with "Keep It In Lombard" written on it, and to either visit the website and see my plea for taking care of their own town, or to think about where in Lombard they could spend it. But the goal is not to just hold onto it; it is to spend it locally, helping those around us. Of course, a great many of the bills will leave town, likely to never return. But if I can keep some of them around for one more in-town exchange, or perhaps a couple of exchanges, my town will continue to benefit from its wealth.
There are questions. What bills should I use? Obviously, one-dollar bills are easier for me to use, as I have limited funds. (Being unemployed, they're more limited than ever.) But the higher the denomination of the bill, the greater its impact when it stays here. (Then again, if someone's dropping a twenty and getting seventeen dollars back, it really doesn't have that much more of a value than a dollar bill.
Maybe I can ask those who like the idea to come to the site and enter where they're spending their money. They can get some exposure as a Lombard supporter. (Gotta come up with a catchier name.) Heck, if they also enter the bill's serial number, we can start figuring out which business are keeping the money in the Lombard circuit! (And which business are essentially starving Lombard dry.) Wow, this could rock.
What I really need is to have a Webmaster. I have very little knowledge of constructing a site. Apart from tedfromaccounting.org, I know nothing about site construction and usefulness. This would require a big accessible database.
I know that media coverage of the site shouldn't be a problem. I can also discuss it on Hello Lombard dot com, where I'm starting to get more involved.
This is great. Ideas don't come as often to me anymore, but still they come and it makes me feel alive when they do. (I'm writing this on the Internet to serve as intellectual property. If it can't construe as such a thing, and someone beats me to the punch, I sure hope it helps my hometown just the same.)
Remember that "Where's George" site? A reminder: it asks people to enter their dollar bill's serial number on the site, stating where they got it. Then those people are asked to spend it, but not without writing "Where's George" on the bill itself.
The site's goal is to have people see all the places where the bill got spent. It is amazing to see how far a dollar bill travels, often hopping through a handful of states. It also makes me wonder where the black holes are. By "black holes," I mean the places where that currency never leaves. Is it in someone's spare change jar? Is it swapped back and forth at a friendly poker game? Or is the giant black hole somewhere outside our borders?
(I suppose people don't take the piece of paper itself and move it to an off-shore bank account. But the value inherent in the bill is often taken far away from its original location, and when it leaves, it hardly ever returns.
Contrast this notion with my desire to urge Lombardians of the value of their money, and how it continues to help the community if it stays in the community.
So I give you the following site: Keep It In Lombard dot org. I'm not sold on the site's name - perhaps it should be "spent it here dot org" or "keep it here dot com," with a /IL/lombard after it, just in case this idea really takes off.
Or not. Just go with a personalized URL. I doubt I could ever make any money off this idea; it appears that the "Where's George" site only makes enough to keep the site afloat.
My goal is for every Lombardian to get a dollar bill with "Keep It In Lombard" written on it, and to either visit the website and see my plea for taking care of their own town, or to think about where in Lombard they could spend it. But the goal is not to just hold onto it; it is to spend it locally, helping those around us. Of course, a great many of the bills will leave town, likely to never return. But if I can keep some of them around for one more in-town exchange, or perhaps a couple of exchanges, my town will continue to benefit from its wealth.
There are questions. What bills should I use? Obviously, one-dollar bills are easier for me to use, as I have limited funds. (Being unemployed, they're more limited than ever.) But the higher the denomination of the bill, the greater its impact when it stays here. (Then again, if someone's dropping a twenty and getting seventeen dollars back, it really doesn't have that much more of a value than a dollar bill.
Maybe I can ask those who like the idea to come to the site and enter where they're spending their money. They can get some exposure as a Lombard supporter. (Gotta come up with a catchier name.) Heck, if they also enter the bill's serial number, we can start figuring out which business are keeping the money in the Lombard circuit! (And which business are essentially starving Lombard dry.) Wow, this could rock.
What I really need is to have a Webmaster. I have very little knowledge of constructing a site. Apart from tedfromaccounting.org, I know nothing about site construction and usefulness. This would require a big accessible database.
I know that media coverage of the site shouldn't be a problem. I can also discuss it on Hello Lombard dot com, where I'm starting to get more involved.
This is great. Ideas don't come as often to me anymore, but still they come and it makes me feel alive when they do. (I'm writing this on the Internet to serve as intellectual property. If it can't construe as such a thing, and someone beats me to the punch, I sure hope it helps my hometown just the same.)
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Best three-chord structure
C, then Em9, then Fmaj7. Basically, the three main chords of "Silly Love Songs." Paul also used these three chords in this order on "Come And Get It." It's the "did I hear you say that there must be a catch / will you walk away" part. But just strumming those three chords in sequence offers such a beautiful sound.
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