Love Goose Creek Symphony - Welcome to Goose Creek
Woke up this mornin' (3AM)
With nothin' on my mind (Not True)
Nothin's all I'm a lookin' for
Nothin's all I'll find
And I've been happy here for now on forty years (52 actually)
Here I have noone to hate (True) , I have noone to fear (Not True)
Its just a way of life so easy to find
But it won't be on maps they make
And you can't buy it on time
If you find that city life is not the life for you
If you're wantin' somethin' old and tired of somethin' new
Come out to the country when the trees are all in bloom
Cleanse your mind, cleanse your soul and give your head some room
And you're welcome to Goose Creek won't you come?
The boys would like to invite everyone
We'll take ya there its not so far away
If you'll just sit back and listen to us play(Play!)
Do ba do da loo, do do do(x8) (Seems like X80)
Doobie, Doo-ba-doodle-loobie-do, Doo-Be-Doo....
While I don't participate or practice religion as much as I should or could, I have come to believe in God more than ever, and with belief comes FEAR.
When my kids came home from Catholic school and started talking about the Bible, I quickly realized it was the rule book to life I had lived 40 years without. My parents were not religious, but they had done their best to teach me most of the basics, the ten commandments if you will. But over the past ten or so years I've come to have more faith in my life, a belief that there is a higher power and while many of the stories of the Bible are hard to comprehend, I am a believer in the Bible, in Jesus and God, and most importantly in myself and my family.
Why do they call it Good Friday when it's the day Jesus died?
It has to be because Jesus was here only for us, all of us. And his dying is not what's important, just like when anyone we know who we loved dies, its their life that was important, and if they lived their life with meaning, its what they taught and shared with us that's important.
In life we have two choices, simple as that, Good vs Evil.
Hard work or being lazy is another way to look at it.
Do I do the right thing or the wrong thing, eat healthy or eat unhealthy, do I worry about things I cant control or do my best to control things in my life so I don't have to worry? If I am not in control, its likely due to bad choices, and then I worry, as I was doing when I woke up at 3AM.
Then I started thinking about a higher power, and I realized I dont need to worry as I have done nothing wrong and I have to place my trust in myself and that will carry me through as I have made good choices, so I need confidence to know that I cant worry about things I cant control, but in life I can control most things, but I cant be weak.
If I am weak, I should be fearful.
Good is strong and weak is evil. I fear weakness and I do what I can to avoid the evil things in my life. I've removed the main big things one would consider evil, but evil goes deep, and its always there. Its the Devil and he is always there trying to tempt you.
Goose Creek sings that happiness is a way of life, and there isnt a map you get to take you there. I disagree, and I think Jesus came here, was sent here, to try and show us the way, the map.
Its pretty simple, but extremely hard if you dont start out on the right path, if you arent shown love early and often. Fortunately I was. I got a bit off track for a while, but then I met my old lady, and she straightened me up. She is as loving, as smart, and as tough as anyone I've ever met. She saw me making some bad choices early on in our marriage and she held me accountable.
"If you are going to be my husband, the father of my kids, our kids, you need to be a role model. Make good decisions."
Love yourself and those around you who need your love, and care about people in your life. If you have people in your life who dont care about you, then why are they in your life? In a way that's what she was saying and she was right. I was 29 and I lived check to check and liked to have fun.
I stopped living that way within a few years and I now still have fun, but I am in control of my destiny, for the most part. Its always a struggle, and my largest obstacle, as anyone who knows me knows, is a weakness. All you have to do is look at me to see my largest obstacle.
The bible says many things that make sense in our lives. One is that our body is our Temple, and it goes on to say that if your hand or eye causes temptation and sin, your better off losing your eye or your hand than having the hand and eye ruin your whole body, or your temple.
It also says if anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him.
That's fear, but the fact he forgives our mistakes, wants us to do good and as long as we love and care and are trying to get better, he seems to tolerate our weakness as we try and gain strength.
So yesterday was the anniversary of the day Jesus died, and tomorrow is the day he rose from the dead, as he said he would do.
I rose at 3AM today thinking about my life and my kids and family and how can I improve myself for their benefit. It's kind of like making new years resolutions, but with a more meaningful purpose.
Time to rise up from the dead and take action.
I guess I didn't really wake up this morning with nothing on my mind.
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Saturday, April 07, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Decisions
I watched Amy Winehouse Die "accidentally" six months ago, but I really watched her die for the past few years right in front of my eyes.
The last ten days has been an instant replay with Whitney Houston.
Reminds me of Tiger in a way. I feel cheated. Things were going so good, then the bottom dropped out and golf is boring on TV again.
Life is full of decisions, and hanging out with a cat like Bobby Brown, or whatever the loser friends who helped suck the life out of Amy Winehouse were named is kinda like being married with kids and hanging out with sleazy women and having them text you and getting caught. Bad decisions.
Michael Jackson, Elvis, Belushi, Hank Williams, Janis, Jim Morrison, Hendrix, all made bad decisions, and all of their decisions involved drugs and alcohol.
Tiger's drug was sex and ego. At least he's still alive, and maybe he still has a shot, but probably only if he really experiences remorse. Ain't looking good.
Bob Marley died from cancer, no bad decision there.
Maybe.
But if you get melanoma on your toe and it turns into lung and brain cancer, were you just scared to go to the doctor?
Or were you too stoned?
My buddy Mov died like Marley, which is Mov's daughters name ironically. Started bleeding when he took a crap, over and over again, and he waited too long. He never saw 40. He was a great friend, and from what I knew he was a great dad and husband, but like Bob Marley, he also died from cancer that could have been prevented. Mov wasnt a rock star, and he didnt wake and bake every day like I'm sure BM did, well not every day, but like me, he grew up in the 70s and sometimes I just wonder if things could have been different if he had made different decisions in life, and I wonder how my life would have been different.
What do we learn from these decisions.
Moderation is better than excess.
Many don't have the tools to use moderation. Whitney apparently didn't. Any didn't. Tiger didn't.
That's what we as parents need to teach our kids, but first we have to learn what it means ourselves. For some, it's easier than others.
The last ten days has been an instant replay with Whitney Houston.
Reminds me of Tiger in a way. I feel cheated. Things were going so good, then the bottom dropped out and golf is boring on TV again.
Life is full of decisions, and hanging out with a cat like Bobby Brown, or whatever the loser friends who helped suck the life out of Amy Winehouse were named is kinda like being married with kids and hanging out with sleazy women and having them text you and getting caught. Bad decisions.
Michael Jackson, Elvis, Belushi, Hank Williams, Janis, Jim Morrison, Hendrix, all made bad decisions, and all of their decisions involved drugs and alcohol.
Tiger's drug was sex and ego. At least he's still alive, and maybe he still has a shot, but probably only if he really experiences remorse. Ain't looking good.
Bob Marley died from cancer, no bad decision there.
Maybe.
But if you get melanoma on your toe and it turns into lung and brain cancer, were you just scared to go to the doctor?
Or were you too stoned?
My buddy Mov died like Marley, which is Mov's daughters name ironically. Started bleeding when he took a crap, over and over again, and he waited too long. He never saw 40. He was a great friend, and from what I knew he was a great dad and husband, but like Bob Marley, he also died from cancer that could have been prevented. Mov wasnt a rock star, and he didnt wake and bake every day like I'm sure BM did, well not every day, but like me, he grew up in the 70s and sometimes I just wonder if things could have been different if he had made different decisions in life, and I wonder how my life would have been different.
What do we learn from these decisions.
Moderation is better than excess.
Many don't have the tools to use moderation. Whitney apparently didn't. Any didn't. Tiger didn't.
That's what we as parents need to teach our kids, but first we have to learn what it means ourselves. For some, it's easier than others.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
We all need someone we can LEAN on
This week is my fifth or sixth Lenten season. Forty days of reflection to find out who we are, what are we here for, and who do we want to be.
One of the reasons I love being Catholic is it has given me a rule book for life, and another is it reminds me that some things are tradition, rituals, and we can count on, depend, and look forward to those things.
Lent is one of the coolest traditions, and I love Lent.
Lent is the period that starts with a black cross of ashes being placed on my forehead in church on a Wednesday, a badge I proudly display for the rest of the day. Catholics smile and nod when I see them, and other people tell me I have something on my forehead, haha.
Next comes the fast. Fasting is cool. It's a test of your willpower, something everyone is challenged with I assume, or we wouldn't have an obese and addictive society. I made it again for a whole day with no food this year, but that's just the start of what I need to do to reflect and make changes in my life to get me where I want and need to be.
The main thing most people associate with Lent is the giving up of something. In Rio, New Orleans and throughout the world, everyone parties and eats all the food they will give up for Lent on the day before Lent; Fat Tuesday.
I always give up alcohol, but this year I've made a vow to my kids to lose weight in these forty days and I'm on my way already.
"Well we all need.... Some-One,.. we can lean on"
Not to sound like a bible thumper, but for me, Jesus Christ is the real rock star.
Lent is Jesus last forty days on Earth.
I look forward to taking that journey with him, because I honestly feel as if he is right by my side.
One of the reasons I love being Catholic is it has given me a rule book for life, and another is it reminds me that some things are tradition, rituals, and we can count on, depend, and look forward to those things.
Lent is one of the coolest traditions, and I love Lent.
Lent is the period that starts with a black cross of ashes being placed on my forehead in church on a Wednesday, a badge I proudly display for the rest of the day. Catholics smile and nod when I see them, and other people tell me I have something on my forehead, haha.
Next comes the fast. Fasting is cool. It's a test of your willpower, something everyone is challenged with I assume, or we wouldn't have an obese and addictive society. I made it again for a whole day with no food this year, but that's just the start of what I need to do to reflect and make changes in my life to get me where I want and need to be.
The main thing most people associate with Lent is the giving up of something. In Rio, New Orleans and throughout the world, everyone parties and eats all the food they will give up for Lent on the day before Lent; Fat Tuesday.
I always give up alcohol, but this year I've made a vow to my kids to lose weight in these forty days and I'm on my way already.
"Well we all need.... Some-One,.. we can lean on"
Not to sound like a bible thumper, but for me, Jesus Christ is the real rock star.
Lent is Jesus last forty days on Earth.
I look forward to taking that journey with him, because I honestly feel as if he is right by my side.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Keith Richards Life
Keith Richards new autobiography is starting to get some publicity as it prepares for its release in 10 days.
Keith has never held back when he speaks, and while sometimes he could be a bit more diplomatic or politically correct it would appear, because he is the honest person he is, we get the straight scoop when he opens his mouth.
His wit is very quick, quicker than most I've ever met and spoken with. Anyone with tapes of the interviews these guys have done together in recent years to promote tours and new music can hear how they joke, and specifically, how they banter with each other.
We all have people we've met like this, and sometimes they speak before really thinking. For example, when Jerry Brown debated Meg Whitman for Calif Governor the other day and replied about his police department endorsements "I have the sheriffs in my back (pause), um, I have the endorsement of..." He quickly realized he should have chosen different words.
When Keith comes out this week and says he thinks Mick may have learned something from what Keith wrote, it says to me he just took the process he went through when writing a song about Mick and their struggles and he made a book of it, or at least a book where he has spoken freely on the topic of his relationship with his brother Mick.
Of course, some stories become fish tales as they're told through the years as is the case with just about anyone who tells the same story for decades straight, but I believe he is just telling it like he sees it in most cases, or hears about it from intimate sources as seems to be the case in regard to the size of MJ's unit, which I also agree is one of the topics he could have gracefully avoided.
With that said, these guys have been through so much together, so who are we to question what they say, and if his account of "what really happened" includes some added color, I'm ok with that as its really the first insight into the inner workings of the magic of the glimmer twins.
To place it in biblical terms, Bill's and Ron's books told some interesting things about the dynamics of the glimmer twins, but this is as close to the gospel as we've gotten to date.
This also certainly has risen the advance tenfold for what Mick will get for his story, and knowing how sharp of a businessman that dude has become, it wouldnt surprise me if he's pondered that when large publishers have come calling. Besides being one of the greatest rock stars ever, Mick certainly deserves consideration as the smartest rock and roll businessman we've seen to date, although many on this board would like to see his guidance go in a more fan friendly manner as they begin what likely will be their final huge endeavor.
I see this as an opportunity to hear the inside story, and I personally can't wait to read this, and I hope when he's too old to do world tours and he has the time on his hands to stop and reflect, as Keith obviously has had, we'll hear the other side from Mick.
So forget about the press pulling the juicy parts out about their rivalry and difficulties as friends, business partners and ultimately as brothers from another mother. As an interested fan, I'm more curious about reading tidbits like his thinking Johnny Depp was his sons drug dealer before he realized who he was, or maybe he became the Johnny Depp we now know after he started hanging out at Keith's pad with his son. I also loved the insight into how they took a boat in the early morning to cross the border into Italy to get eggs for breakfast because they tasted better, and for the sense of adventure that came with each of those journeys as they were making Exile. I can close my eyes and imagine that, which is much cooler for me than closing my eyes and imagining the most popular current topic that's being discussed about the book.
Keith has never held back when he speaks, and while sometimes he could be a bit more diplomatic or politically correct it would appear, because he is the honest person he is, we get the straight scoop when he opens his mouth.
His wit is very quick, quicker than most I've ever met and spoken with. Anyone with tapes of the interviews these guys have done together in recent years to promote tours and new music can hear how they joke, and specifically, how they banter with each other.
We all have people we've met like this, and sometimes they speak before really thinking. For example, when Jerry Brown debated Meg Whitman for Calif Governor the other day and replied about his police department endorsements "I have the sheriffs in my back (pause), um, I have the endorsement of..." He quickly realized he should have chosen different words.
When Keith comes out this week and says he thinks Mick may have learned something from what Keith wrote, it says to me he just took the process he went through when writing a song about Mick and their struggles and he made a book of it, or at least a book where he has spoken freely on the topic of his relationship with his brother Mick.
Of course, some stories become fish tales as they're told through the years as is the case with just about anyone who tells the same story for decades straight, but I believe he is just telling it like he sees it in most cases, or hears about it from intimate sources as seems to be the case in regard to the size of MJ's unit, which I also agree is one of the topics he could have gracefully avoided.
With that said, these guys have been through so much together, so who are we to question what they say, and if his account of "what really happened" includes some added color, I'm ok with that as its really the first insight into the inner workings of the magic of the glimmer twins.
To place it in biblical terms, Bill's and Ron's books told some interesting things about the dynamics of the glimmer twins, but this is as close to the gospel as we've gotten to date.
This also certainly has risen the advance tenfold for what Mick will get for his story, and knowing how sharp of a businessman that dude has become, it wouldnt surprise me if he's pondered that when large publishers have come calling. Besides being one of the greatest rock stars ever, Mick certainly deserves consideration as the smartest rock and roll businessman we've seen to date, although many on this board would like to see his guidance go in a more fan friendly manner as they begin what likely will be their final huge endeavor.
I see this as an opportunity to hear the inside story, and I personally can't wait to read this, and I hope when he's too old to do world tours and he has the time on his hands to stop and reflect, as Keith obviously has had, we'll hear the other side from Mick.
So forget about the press pulling the juicy parts out about their rivalry and difficulties as friends, business partners and ultimately as brothers from another mother. As an interested fan, I'm more curious about reading tidbits like his thinking Johnny Depp was his sons drug dealer before he realized who he was, or maybe he became the Johnny Depp we now know after he started hanging out at Keith's pad with his son. I also loved the insight into how they took a boat in the early morning to cross the border into Italy to get eggs for breakfast because they tasted better, and for the sense of adventure that came with each of those journeys as they were making Exile. I can close my eyes and imagine that, which is much cooler for me than closing my eyes and imagining the most popular current topic that's being discussed about the book.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
The Information Age
Some people call it Public Records, some call it Data, and in our business we call it a lead.
I call it information.
In the current state of the skip tracing industry, we have a tremendous amount of information at our fingertips.
Since we live in the Information Age, we should always be striving to find better ways to process and use available information to make better decisions.
In the old days, I would get so excited when someone went to Battle Mountain, or any remote location, and they brought me back a local phone book. Suddenly, I had the information I needed, at my fingertips, to crack a tough case. I had a book of leads.
The amount of data available on people these days is amazing. It's the closest thing we've seen to Big Brother.
What's important is to find a way to take that information, streamline the identification of the most relevant data that's available through Public Records, which includes everything about a person that's available on the Internet, and put that into a format that can improve the process of skip tracing.
That's skip tracing in 2010.
I call it information.
In the current state of the skip tracing industry, we have a tremendous amount of information at our fingertips.
Since we live in the Information Age, we should always be striving to find better ways to process and use available information to make better decisions.
In the old days, I would get so excited when someone went to Battle Mountain, or any remote location, and they brought me back a local phone book. Suddenly, I had the information I needed, at my fingertips, to crack a tough case. I had a book of leads.
The amount of data available on people these days is amazing. It's the closest thing we've seen to Big Brother.
What's important is to find a way to take that information, streamline the identification of the most relevant data that's available through Public Records, which includes everything about a person that's available on the Internet, and put that into a format that can improve the process of skip tracing.
That's skip tracing in 2010.
Friday, July 09, 2010
Cleveland Rocks
www.LeBronisaDICK.com
Cleveland is his home, and he treated his home like it was just some other city when he created the whole Labron-a-palooza scenario over the past couple weeks. He showed no remorse, spoke in the third party about "gotta do what's best for LeBron", and its not like he is leaving some company, its his home, where his roots were, and he ripped em' out. If he had first addressed the fans of Cleveland to explain why he was leaving, that would have created less problems, but to me, now he's like Tiger Woods, damaged goods. Sure both may rebound as both are great athletes, but when the people around them can't control the ego and it gets out of control, good things dont usually happen, they make bad decisions. Their image is worth as much as their sporting skills and outside Miami, this guy just torched himself in my mind. But our society forgives and forgets, but he ain't gonna be on a golf course with the PGA officials throwing people out who yell at him, he's gotta go play in Cleveland and that's gonna be interesting.
The owner of Cleveland tried to sign him for two years and for the past month he apparently didnt return his calls, texts, etc. and since he apparently knew he was leaving, he should have told the owner before he fired his GM and Coach, picked a new coach and went through the draft, all decisions I'm sure were done with Queen James possible return in mind.
Aside from that, isn't this a form of collusion when players can get together and decide who and where they want to play. Owners in MLB got in trouble for that kind of behind the scenes collaboration, but its ok for these guys to hook up like this?
I dont know, I liked it better when I knew Ernie Banks was a Cub, and he was a Cub for life. Even Kobe, who I don't like, stayed a Laker out of loyalty. It's one thing when a Superstar leaves at the twilight of their career. Does anyone even remember michael jordan as a Washington Wizard or whatever he was after being a Bull? But when you grow up in a city, that city gave you the key and you gave it your love back, supposedly, and its a city that hasn't won a championship in anything in decades, where's the loyalty? Jordan struggled until he learned to play with his teammates and the owner/GM got his the right surrounding cast, and then he won a bunch of rings. These guys have won more games than anyone in the NBA the past 2 years, it's not like he wasn't close. Why leave now?
I see both sides, but I'm old school and feel bad for Cleveland, but maybe that's cause I'm a Cubs and Vikings fan and don't know what it's like to win a championship.
Cleveland is his home, and he treated his home like it was just some other city when he created the whole Labron-a-palooza scenario over the past couple weeks. He showed no remorse, spoke in the third party about "gotta do what's best for LeBron", and its not like he is leaving some company, its his home, where his roots were, and he ripped em' out. If he had first addressed the fans of Cleveland to explain why he was leaving, that would have created less problems, but to me, now he's like Tiger Woods, damaged goods. Sure both may rebound as both are great athletes, but when the people around them can't control the ego and it gets out of control, good things dont usually happen, they make bad decisions. Their image is worth as much as their sporting skills and outside Miami, this guy just torched himself in my mind. But our society forgives and forgets, but he ain't gonna be on a golf course with the PGA officials throwing people out who yell at him, he's gotta go play in Cleveland and that's gonna be interesting.
The owner of Cleveland tried to sign him for two years and for the past month he apparently didnt return his calls, texts, etc. and since he apparently knew he was leaving, he should have told the owner before he fired his GM and Coach, picked a new coach and went through the draft, all decisions I'm sure were done with Queen James possible return in mind.
Aside from that, isn't this a form of collusion when players can get together and decide who and where they want to play. Owners in MLB got in trouble for that kind of behind the scenes collaboration, but its ok for these guys to hook up like this?
I dont know, I liked it better when I knew Ernie Banks was a Cub, and he was a Cub for life. Even Kobe, who I don't like, stayed a Laker out of loyalty. It's one thing when a Superstar leaves at the twilight of their career. Does anyone even remember michael jordan as a Washington Wizard or whatever he was after being a Bull? But when you grow up in a city, that city gave you the key and you gave it your love back, supposedly, and its a city that hasn't won a championship in anything in decades, where's the loyalty? Jordan struggled until he learned to play with his teammates and the owner/GM got his the right surrounding cast, and then he won a bunch of rings. These guys have won more games than anyone in the NBA the past 2 years, it's not like he wasn't close. Why leave now?
I see both sides, but I'm old school and feel bad for Cleveland, but maybe that's cause I'm a Cubs and Vikings fan and don't know what it's like to win a championship.
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