I am starting to feel like I am getting back my writing mojo. And as usual, I have no shortage of things I want to talk about. There’s plenty of new music, a couple of television shows that I’m liking, some new technology worth investigating, the usual news story or two and the biggest news event of the year, the inauguration of our 44th President. Oh yeah, that. To set today’s Aye Wonder tone, I want to lead off with a favorite tune of mine. It’s been performed by Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Aretha, Bob Marley, Pop Staples and most notably, by Curtis Mayfile & the Impressions. The version I present to you is a beautiful piece of gospel by the a cappella group, The Persuasions. Lets start our kumbaya-ing early with Aye Wonder’s song of the week!
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☞There are still many people in our country that mystifyingly refuse to grasp the significance of today. It reminds me of the giant cartoon hammer that comes down on Wile E. Coyote. He doesn’t get it and never will. Unfortunately, there’s little that one can do about that type of tunnel vision. I truly hope that today does in fact signal the starting point for a new America. We are in grave trouble as a nation but no one man can turn this battleship around. We need to do it together. I wish that right and left would go back to being traffic directions and not political ideologies. I wish that all the colors in the melting pot, realized they are all making the same fondue. People Get Ready, there’s a train-a-coming. You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board.
☞I never brought you up to date on this but I didn’t make it to the UK this year breaking a 47 year streak (boo hoo). I’d like to think that I could start again this year but in order to break my own record, I’d be 101 on year 48. Chances = Zero.
☞One of my faithful readers, Holly, asked what I thought of Obama’s choice for Treasury Secretary given his tax foibles. To be fair, the appointee, Timothy Geithner made a dumb but honest mistake but given his pedigree, it appears that many aren’t inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. In my lifetime, I cannot remember a President who didn’t stumble on appointees. And over the past 20 years, the bar has been significantly raised due to the increase in investigative reporting and blogging. Geithner and Gov. Bill Richardson, each fessed up to chinks in their armor. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to work if the vetting process misses something?
☞If you want to understand just how far the stock market has fallen consider this: Microsoft is selling at 10 times current earnings, less than 9 times earnings that are 18 months out, yields 2.6% and has a $40 billion stock repurchase plan in the market. When I was a money manager, those types of stocks were considered buys.
☞Yesterday, Christine and I finally saw Slumdog Millionaire. If you haven’t seen it; do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Go straight to your local cinema. It’s easily one of 2008 best movies and one that you will not forget. Stay while the credits are rolling because every Bollywood (Made in India) movie ends with a dance. This one is really fun.
☞If you have an iPhone there’s a very cool technology that they are delivering for free in the App Store. It’s called 2D Sense. There are a few companies delivering this type of technology but I like theirs the best. Here’s how it works: you visit their website (after installing the app) and create a 2d code. A 2d code has embedded information that will deliver a phone number, a photo, a website, a coupon and various other applications. I made one for Endway that looks like this.
If you scan this blot code with your iPhone (any phone with a camera will have this soon), you will be given information about Endway’s gig at the Paradise on February 17th and send you to another website to buy your tickets, which you should do anyways here. Expect this technology to become ubiquitous within 12-18 months.
☞Speaking of Endway and because I am shameless, try and see them if they are passing through your hometown. Here’s the schedule.
Jan 22 – Felt (Boston MA)
Jan 23 – The Canal Room (NYC)
Jan 24 – Hula’s (California MD)
Jan 25 – The Fire House (Fairfax VA)
Jan 28 – Sandbar Saloon (Surf City NC)
Jan 29 – Halligan’s (Charleston SC)
Jan 30 – The Dive (Goose Creek SC)
Jan 31 – The Wormhole (Savannah GA)
Feb 1 – Dark Horse Tavern (Atlanta GA)
Feb 3 – The Nick (Birmingham AL)
Feb 4 – Tavern On The Park (Hilton Head Island)
Feb 5 – Prana (Hilton Head Island)
Feb 6 – The Club House (Myrtle Beach SC)
Feb 7 – Three Fifteen (Salisbury SC)
Feb 10 – Fat Tuesday’s (Fairfax VA)
Feb 12 – Piano’s (NYC)
Morgan and I before the Royal Affair where they performed
☞Last night, I got around to watching Patrick Swazye’s new show, The Beast. I found it surprisingly dark and edgy but nevertheless, an entertaining view. When Swayze is on camera, he commands your attention. I’ve only seen one episode but I will watch again.
☞Along with two or three other people, I watched George Bush’s farewell to the nation last Thursday. Could there have been a more irrelevant half hour of television than that? In retrospect, I would have rather watched a rerun of 2 1/2 Men. George Bush is leaving office with the same arrogance and ineptitude that he entered it. His Thursday farewell was all about trying to set the record straight as he sees it. From now on, I will take a pass on his point of view. Here’s an exclusive photograph of President 43 shuffling off to the great state of Texas.
☞The motto of the Boy Scouts of America is “Be Prepared.” This week’s Aye Wonder quote is all about being prepared and appropriately was said by our sixteenth President.
If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax. ~Abraham Lincoln
Lets go chop some trees together.
Aye Wonder and if you made it to here, so do you.
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Just yesterday, I spent hours evaluating the prospective careers of total strangers. I didn’t know whether their talent was good or bad, marketable or not. I just had my own opinions. I watched with intense interest at these individuals successes and failures. I was amused by each of their reactions to power. When someone assumes that they know everything it is incredibly corrupting. Give people power and they forget how to lead. They bully instead. You can see it plain as day, everyday. They start to believe their own press clippings. It was a lesson in the human psyche.
