Hello from Bavaria

I am in the country of one of my heroes, none other than the one and only Johann Sebastian Bach!

There is no such thing as “the best musician” or my complete favorite but when it comes to my top 5 Bach is always right there. He went to that big “pipe organ in the sky” in 1750. With a little luck I will have time to get to Leipzig so I can visit his final resting place. I would have to say visiting his homeland was definitely on my bucketlist. So I can check that off!

Christmas in Bavaria is very peaceful and quiet and very different than what I am used to in the states.

In fact it has been so quiet here I have had a hard time sleeping. I am used to a lot more of the hustle and the bustle. All the shops are closed and and stayed that way from Christmas Eve to a few days after Christmas. It has been a constant meditative state and it has been a memorable Christmas.
The only downside is I miss my family and friends. This was a great opportunity so I will catch up with all of them the minute I get home.

On Christmas Eve my friend Stefan and his other friend Stefan took me to midnight mass at a church here in Inglestodt that was built in 1310. Wow a church that is 700 years old!. I will post some pictures when I get home. At the end of the evening they shut down all the lights and sang “Silent Night” in German completely acapella. It gave everyone goosebumps it was so hauntingly beautiful.

This country is impeccably clean as well. Spotless, everything is set up and engineered to efficiency and recycling is mandatory. We took the Autobahn back from Munich yesterday and even the Autobahn is spotless. No junk anywhere and it is fun to drive along with everyone else at 100 miles an hour. If you go under 80 mph on the Autobahn the Polize will give you a ticket. I love that!

What a mature way to encourage the flow of traffic and the entire policy has no basis in fear.
I love my country but I feel for a few 100 more years until the U.S. grows up we should call it the United States of Fear.

Underage drinking and private marijuana use is a non-issue here as well. I have experienced the same maturity levels in the Czech Republic and Amsterdam as well. We have a lot growing up to do.

I have some great gig photos to post as well. I will do so after New Years. I will write about the beer as well then. That will take an entire couple of post in itself.

Happy Holidays and Have a great New Year!

Much Much Much Love,

Eric

Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll

Now there is a title that will grab just about anyone’s attention…

I am going to try my hand at a smaller post today. Fun and straight to the point.

Me and my friend Alex Jiminez used to play all kinds of games in high school to keep from “stark raving madness” induced by boredom. I used to draw cartoon strips and we would make all these “list” where we practiced “mentalism” by seeing how many guitarist from band’s we could think of and then we would start with all the other instruments. This was the kind of stuff that truly mattered to us and it was so much more fun than paying attention in class.

One of the the things I learned from Alex was to open the dictionary everyday and learn a new word. I always thought that was so cool. A few years ago I heard Tony Robbins interviewing Stanley “Tookie” Williams from death row in Jail and the interview was so enlightening and profound. Tony asked Stanley how had developed such an articulate amazing vocabulary and Stanley mentioned he did the same thing that Alex did. I still do this and I did it this morning.

This morning I learned;

Hendiatris- (Greek for one through three) is a figure of speech used for emphasis, in which three words are used to express one idea. For example, the phrase “women, wine and song” uses three words to capture one idea.

“Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll” is just a modern way of saying “Women, Wine and Song”

Perhaps equally well-known throughout the world are Julius Caesar’s “Veni vidi vici”
“I came, I saw, I conquered”

I have always loved the number 3 as well and My favorite basketball player was always Larry Bird. His jersey number was #33

The cliché “wine, women, and song” is a rhetorical figure of a triad or hendiatris. Similar tripartite mottoes have existed for a long time in many languages, for example:

* Bengali/Hindi/Sanskrit - “Sur, Sura, Sundari” (music, wine and woman)
* Czech - “Víno, ženy a zpěv” (wine, women and song)
* Danish - “Vin, kvinder og sang” (wine, women and song)
o also “Øl, fisse og hornmusik” (beer, a slang word for female genitals, and horn music)
o also “Tjald og lal og lir” (slang words for cannabis, fooling around, and being sexually aroused)

I have to tell you, I love these Danes, they are geniuses! Remember in my post “The evils of Sexual Repression” they were the ones that had a program subsidized by the Dutch government, the “Lang leve de liefde”(Long Live Love) package, developed in the late 1980s. That aims to give teenagers the skills to make their own decisions regarding health and sexuality. Nearly all secondary schools provide sex education as part of biology classes and over half of primary schools discuss sexuality and contraception. The curriculum focuses on biological aspects of reproduction as well as on values, attitudes, communication and negotiation skills. The media has encouraged open dialogue and the health-care system guarantees confidentiality and a non-judgmental approach. The Netherlands has one of the lowest teenage pregnancy rates in the world, and the Dutch approach is often seen as a model for other countries.
Wow!, a governmental policy called “Long Live Love”? Could you imagine that in the US, the UK, Germany or the Middle East.

Anyway, back to the fun!

* German - “Wein, Weib und Gesang” (wine, women and singing)
* Hindi/Urdu - “Kabab, Sharab aur Shabab” (meat, wine and women/beauty)
* Norwegian - “Piker, vin og sang” (women, wine and song)
* Polish - “Wino, kobiety i śpiew”
* Swedish - “Vin, kvinnor och sång” (wine, women and song)
o also “Bajen, bärs och rakade brudar” (a soccer team, beer, and women with shaved genitals)

As you can see like the Danes, the Swedes have their “hendiatris” totally happening!

“A soccer team, beer and women with shaved genitals!”

WOW! Now that is what I call a hendiatris!

Isn’t it amazing that all these different languages have this phrase?

“Sex, drugs and rock and roll” is a modern variation of it. The terms correspond to wine, women and song with edgier and updated vices. The term came to prominence in the sixties as rock and roll music, opulent and intensely public lifestyles, as well as what some saw as “liberal morals”, came into the mainstream.

“Rum, bum, and concertina” is a British naval equivalent. Another British naval equivalent is “rum, sodomy and the lash”.

“Rum, bum, and concertina”! Yeah Mon’ now there’s a song title!

Stay tuned as I feel that one coming on the horizon soon!

The phrase may have also originated with the following couplet:

“Who does not love wine, women and song / Remains a fool his whole life long.” this phrase is attributed to German poet Johann Heinrich Voss (1751–1826)

Voss’s full phrase is: Wer nicht liebt Wein, Weib und Gesang / Der bleibt ein Narr sein Lebelang (”He who loves not wine, women, and song / Remains a fool his whole life long”).

Isn’t that awesome. I love the way that sounds in German.

The waltz “Wine, Women and Song” (Wein, Weib und Gesang) is Op. 333 (1869) of Johann Strauss II.

The British poet and mystic Aleister Crowley, in his work “Energized Enthusiasm,” suggests that “wine, woman, and song” may be utilized towards the development of genius in the individual or the attainment of mystical states.

I agree so remember to keep things simple in life and focus on the three things you love the most! everything else should be a side dish.

Have a remarkably Merry Christmas and cherish the power of focusing on those you love and the things you love in life over the holidays!

My friend Dominic turned me on to this great quote by Bruce Lee that just reeks of truth!

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

Much Much Much Love!

Eric

Old men are cool!

Every since I was a youth I have always had friends that were older and adults that were mentors.

In this month’s issue of “The Lion’s Den” my interview series. I hold court with my friend phenomenal jazz guitarist Clint Strong. In our chat Clint talks about the fact that when he was 9 years old all of his friends were adults and he never hung around anyone his age. Clint is an amazing person and so full of jokes and stories and tales about life that the wisdom he espouses just had to be a result of the mature friends he had.

One of the traits I look for in a girl is that she has a great relationship with her father. If she has a great relationship with her father she will be much more likely to choose a strong balanced and mature individual for a mate. This is why a girl with a strong relationship with her father is often attracted to older men who are more mature and don’t play games.

Girl’s with “Daddy issues” are sometimes attracted to older men as well but for all the wrong reasons. They are often trying to find the father they never had or that was absent. These types also are attracted to the “stripper pole” Girls who have fantastic relationships with their father rarely gravitate towards “the pole”

On the other hand girls that have bad relationships with their father or that do not have a strong “alpha male” type father figure in their life tend to date “little boys” . They want a mouse, not a man. So they will find someone they have to “take care of” and babysit. It is a very funny thing to see but it is a very serious problem in our culture.

I have a friend that has a very unstable relationship with her father. She wasted no time getting to the “pole” the minute she turned eighteen. It was like clockwork, she finally got out of that line of work as it just about destroyed her life since she didn’t have strong enough “boundaries” to avoid cocaine and all the other amenities that come with that lifestyle. Now she is either bartending or cocktail waitressing and living paycheck to paycheck. There is always more “month” left at the end of the month than money at the end of the month. This girl is pretty and an incredible dancer. She could easily have her own dance studio. Over the years I have noticed something about her that is very interesting and revealing about the importance of “early imprinting” in raising a child and or family.

I could put this girl in a room with 400 guys, 399 of them could be stable, financially independent, strong alpha-male types that would treat her well and with Honesty, Trust and Respect. Unequivocally without a doubt, she would be attracted to and find the one “bad apple” in the group that would abuse her, lie to her, and participate in completely unhealthy rampant drug use with her.

She will walk right up to him and pick him out of the crowd. It is a fascinating thing to watch!

I have seen her do this so many times it was an amazing lesson to me in how important early childhood development with stability is. She would not even have an ounce of attraction to someone who would be good for her at all. I see an incredible amount of this, so much that it is dis-heartening.

So I thought it would be fun to “hold court” for a while in this blog and just lay some stuff on you guys. I have to tell you my good friend Aaron Pendland, who is an amazing artist told me a few days ago. That it is OK if I just post a short snippet on my blog once in a while. I think he is right and i want to but there is so much I have to say about this subject this is going to be another long one;

OK, Let’s get started;

Women mature faster than men do, tis’ a fact. There are a lot of reasons for this, but it is what it is.
My “birth mother” was 14 when she gave birth to me. Think about that 14 years old. Think about this;

How would a 18 year old girl date an 18 year old guy?

I was an 18 year old guy once, and I was completely immature and a knucklehead. There is a balance to all of this. Women would benefit massively and it should be “mandatory” that a girl date a guy at least 10 years older than she is. Likewise younger guys would massively benefit from dating older women that could teach them a thing or two. The classic, what some people call a “cougar” is a prime example. These 18 -25 year old guys that are basically “human tri-pods” that just want something to “poke on” could learn and benefit from meeting a “cougar”.

You see a “cougar” has been there and done that. She bought into the script and and often married and had kids with what society dictated she should do. When that went South and she ended up divorced she got back in the field and started doing what she wanted to do. She took care of #1 herself. This is why she is perfect for the “fetus” (the young knucklehead guy).

She can teach him the ropes!

You see great timber does not grow with ease, the stonger the wind the greater the trees.

Everything cool I have learned from older guys. Let’s start with the car I drive:

Look at that thing! I have to tell you one of my mentors John Aruzian (who you will meet later in this blog) got me started with these Crown Victoria’s. Pat Riley the famous basketball coach drives one as well. He is a suave, sophisticated older guy and someone I look up to as well. The Crown Victoria is spacious, elegant and regal. Yet it has an almost subtle but not so subtle intimidating factor to it.

You can tell in an elegant way, don’t fuck with the guy driving this car.

I will tell you who knows cars, Black guys! I get more compliments on my car from black guys than anyone. You see boys drive cars that they think will impress girls. You know the typical red sports car or the “fast and furious” type little toys with the rims and all the “hey look at me I exist” trimmings.

The Crown Vic is a car you would drive for yourself. Try one sometime and just feel the absolute elegance and attention to detail. Brother’s drive the car they want to drive and they do it on their own terms. My good friend “Big Dog” was over tonight and he was telling all these great stories about his Grandfather who was a pimp and a preacher. He always drove a Cadillac!

There is a great story about this car. The day I bought it from Bill Utter Ford in Denton, I needed to drive to my good friend genius photographer James Bland’s house to pick up some photos. My girlfriend at the time Erin Gilmore came with me. She liked the car because it has a mirror with lighting on each side on the passenger side so she could do her makeup. The car was brand new and still had the paper license plate on the window. While we were at James house perusing the photos I looked out the window to check on my new car. It was so cute, there was this little 90 year old man out there just walking the perimeter of the car and checking it out. I told Erin, “Go out there and chat with him and make his day. He loved that car and I feel we can learn so much about quality from older guys!

Another one of my mentors Allan Holdsworth who is 62 years young took a liking to my Crown Vic as well. So much he even bought one for himself, he talks about it constantly and he is English and a man that knows his “gadgetry” He lives in a retirement community next to a golf course in San Juan Capistrano California. He has related to me that all the old guys stop by and stand around his Crown Vic with their hands on their hips and talk about how cool his car is as well.

Let’s talk about Beer, Frank Zappa said it himself. You can’t oficially declare yourself a country if you don’t have your own beer. I concur and couldn’t agree more. You know what little boy’s drink?

Yep, you guessed it light beer, and what do they market the most to colleges which are rife with “little boys” (frat guys and etc.)

Bud Light, Miller Light and Coors Light…

And what do they market it with?

Sex…

When in reality a man would never drink those beers. They are for cream puffs. Isn’t it ironic?
I am going to Germany on the 18th and I am looking forward to it. In Germany they have a law;

It’s called “Reinheitsgebot” It is a German purity law established in 1516 that forbids the use of anything but Hops in the brewing of beer. You know what they use in Bud Light and Coors light and etc?

You guessed it, corn or rice, Why? Because it’s cheap. I learned a lot about beer from older guys as well. You know what a lot of older guys drink?

Coors Original!

Here is a beer that has 3 nicknames:

1. Colorado Kool-Aid (my favorite)
2. Yellow Bellies
3. Banquet Beer

What other beer has 3 nicknames?

This beer is a “Pilsner” and was so good it used to be smuggled all over the country from Colorado. In the movie “Smokey and The Bandit”, Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed (great guitar player) are smuggling “Colorado Kool-Aid” out of Colorado. A Classic movie!

You see an older guy is like an Oaktree, he has been around awhile, he has roots and he is strong. Remember as I said earlier, “Great timber does not grow with ease, the stronger the wind the stronger the tree. Most girls these days lack an “Oak Tree” in their life. It’s not their fault, it’s due to the “imprinting” we spoke of earlier. They have no strong examples in their life as a reference at all.

So they choose “saplings” and “twigs” as mates and try and mold them. But by mothering and wasting their time on these “fetuses” they never allow the “sapling” to get tough and grow some “balls” and become a man. Let’s look at today’s supposed “rock star” as an example:

This is the “sapling” that most women drag home these days:

Look how his legs look like “parentheses” (kind of resembles a twig doesn’t it)

And the godawful trucker hat? Zeeeeeeeeeesh. This is to quote my good friend Nick Russo, “a damn shame!”

That’s a rock star?

In Denton and Austin, TX where I spend the majority of my time these “twigs” are a dime a dozen.
There are variations on a theme but the basic drill is the same. Some may have “woodshop glasses” and the some other “emo misgivings” but the saddest fact with these clowns is that it is fashionable to be a “hack” and not be very good. Remember the movie “Slacker” very Austin and that is the breed.

I say Fuck that!

Here is my idea of a Rockstar!

Yngwie Malmsteen! No matter what you think of him you can’t say he doesn’t know how to play his guitar! And he looks like a rock star. Look at the Gold chains and the outfit. Reminds me of Elvis!

Here is a picture of me at 16 with my high school sweetheart Lupe. Isn’t she pretty. Because of Yngwie I practiced my ass off and got a nice skill set on the guitar. As funny as I look here and I am proud to share this with you, at least there are no photos of me looking like that douchebag with the “trucker hat”

I still have that Les Paul by the way. My mom said “If you stick with lessons for a year, I will buy you your dream guitar, and she did.

Here is the moral to the story;

They say a “picture is worth a thousand words”…

So much of the rest of this post will be pictures with a few comments.

Ladies, if you truly want to be happy in life. Date an older man.

Are there exceptions? Of course but 96% of the time you will be better off and you won’t have to babysit “boys”. That’s what children are for…

If you want a baby, find an older man that can provide that stability and that knows what he wants in life. That way you can relax under the Oak Tree and “be alive” and have a real “baby” with him.

Here is an great picture of an Oak tree (an older man)

Now ladies, you have to ask yourself,

Would you like to sit down and read a book under that tree? Or this one?

Would you rather date this guy:

Or this one:

Let’s do this again, so you make sure and get my drift:

Would you rather date these “assclowns”

Or just maybe, just maybe… this guy

You know what, to hammer home my point and because the 3rd time is the charm. Here you go:

These douchebags:

Or a real man;

Here is me with my father’s friend Racehorse Haynes and my buddy Rafe Foreman. This is after Racehorse walked into a courtroom in Denton on my behalf. The case was dropped after we stood our ground and got our “oaktree” on. Racehorse is 80 years young and still practicing law.

You see you have to respect your elders, they have been there and done that! They know the ropes.
We need quality people in our lives and like fine wine age brings wisdom. I love life and even though I live in the moment. I cherish the days when I am 80 and as cool as my grandmother and Racehorse and Hugh Hefner and all these other cool cats.

Here is one of my favorite older friends, Jim O’neill;

Jim is my good friend Trey Smith’s Grandfather. This is at his 80th birthday in Cameron, TX. At the party his daughter’s joked that they should get him a 40 year old girlfriend…

He snapped back, “can you get me 2 twenties?

There is my kind of man.

Here is me and Bill Dear. Who was like a second father to me:

We were talking about a picture being worth a thousand words?

Here is a prime example;

Here is Cameron Diaz with a “baby tree” you see how this picture parallels most pictures of girls with their “boyfriends”?

No wonder she found Justin Timberlake and his “trucker hat” attractive. She is attracted to a “mouse” not a “man” She likes the K-Feds and the Timberlakes and etc, of Mice and Men.

Here is a couple of shots and me and my mentor John Aruzian. John is crazy but in a exceptional way. He is without a doubt better at reading people and dealing with people than anyone I have ever met. He walks his talk and I have learned more about life and girls from him than anyone I have ever met. This is after he and his daughter Heather came to see me on his 69th birthday.

Here John is relating to me the beauty and zen of watering the garden by hand and using that time to get your thoughts together:

I have learned more from just talking to this guy than I did in any classroom anywhere!

Alright my friend, thanks for hanging in there with me through this lengthy post. I feel like a kindred spirit with you thus far and this was all for a reason…

I have told you none of this to impress you, just to impress upon you the importance and the beauty of those who have come before us. Our mentors, Our Fathers, Our Mothers and the few, the 4% who are awake and get it.

I end this post with a photo of my Dad, 80 years young at Pappa Brothers Steakhouse in Houston, TX where I took him and my mom and sister for his birthday. He is my hero and he taught my work ethic. He taught me to fish and hunt. He married my mom 56 years ago and they are still together. Most of all…

He taught me Unconditional Love…

It wouldn’t matter what path I chose in life he would have stood behind me.

The best way to lead is to get behind the people!

Here he is macking a fried oyster at his 80th Birthday!

Much Love to all of you and thanks for staying with me on this long winded post!

Like fine wine and Oak Trees we are better with age and to embrace that is true divinity!

All of my Love!

Eric

Live in the Moment!

It is sad to see how many people in our world are caught up in landslides of anxiety and depression. Everytime you turn around you see a new commercial for a pill that claims to alleviate the symptoms of one or the other. I have always felt that the solution is much simpler.

If you really think about it, “Depression” is just focusing on the past…

It is that simple, If I sat around and thought about all the mistakes I have made in my life and the opportunities I have missed and the bad gigs I have had. I could become depressed in an instant!

Now let’s take a look at anxiety;

If you really think about it “Anxiety” is just worrying about the future…

It is that simple, If I kept worrying about a gig I have next Saturday and I keep thinking that I am going to have a bad night with my voice because I am a little hoarse. I would become extremely “anxious” and be miserable.

To some extent a little sadness (depression) is normal, as is a little (worry) is normal. They can be motivators. For example; a little worry might help you get your taxes done on time.

I strive every day to live in the moment and be in the “present” that’s why it’s called the “present” it is a gift and to stay there is to be “alive” It is where the word “believe” comes from. It literally means to be alive. Here is a great story that reinforces the “Power of Now”

There was this monk who was walking in the woods. All of a sudden behind him in the corner of his eye he feels the presence of something ominous. He looks back and sees this gigantic bear that’s starts running towards him. In a panicked frenzy the monk starts running for his life! The bear keeps chasing and gaining ground on him. He can literally feel the heat of the bears breath and slobber on the back of his neck as he comes to the edge of a cliff…

He doesn’t even have time to think about it, he just jumps for his life!

As he is falling he looks down and sees a river full of crocodiles awaiting his arrival. Snapping their jaws! He grabs a branch that extends from the side of the mountain with one hand and hangs on for his life. He is able to stabilize and grab with his other hand another branch and he looks up.

There is the bear growling and licking his lips. He looks down and there are the hungry crocodiles.

Then in front of his face he sees a strawberry plant with a luscious ripe red strawberry right in front of him. He plucks it and pops it into his mouth and the moment is perfect!

You see the message in this parable is beautiful. Live in the moment!

They say “a picture is worth a thousand words” I agree.

Check out this guy:

He sure looks like he is living in the moment macking that strawberry!

I have always been super curious about life. Not long ago I was at a BBQ in East Texas with some very dear friends. One of the friends of the family I was visiting has been in the funeral home business for several generations. Standing around drinking beer and talking I started asking this gentleman question after question about the funeral home business and what it’s like.

So many people are afraid of death and we sanitize it so much in our society and hide it from everyone that I think that is a bit sad. I held my cat Battleaxe’s paw as she passed away and my vet left me alone with her body for awhile so I could just let go and find some inner peace at that moment.

I asked so many questions that this guy finally said to me; “Eric if you ever want to go with me to the morgue as I prep a body for burial you are more than welcome” I thought to myself “I want to experience this part of life up close and personal and I am going to take him up on his offer”

Subsequently a few weeks later I was visiting again and he got a call to pick up a couple of bodies of deceased people. I was there and he asked me if I wanted to go. I did.

Out of respect for the bereaved (I don’t know why but I love that word) and I have always wanted to type it. So there it is.

Anyway out of respect I won’t mention any names but I can tell you the entire process was one of the most serene and interesting experiences I had ever had in my life. I watched as my friend washed the body, prepped the carotid artery drained the blood from the body and completed the entire embalming process. You would think that something like this would gross me out but it didn’t. It awoke in me the fragility of life and how precious our friends and loved ones are. I was extremely in the moment during the entire process and I still remember the person’s name and everything.

I will as long as I live. It had that much of an impression on me.

The family brings the clothes that the person requested for burial and often they will bring a photo. This is so a makeup artist that works for the funeral home can do their best to make the person look like they did for the viewing process.

I am glad I had the curiousity and the courage to experience that and I have to be honest I always wanted to see what happens to us when we die. I am not content living my life “on the surface” and not living. In my opinion, If you are not afraid to die than you can live!

Check out this poem “Present Tense” this was written by a 14 year old kid named Jason Lehman.

I love this and have it laminated on my wall, here it goes:

Present Tense

It was spring, but it was summer I wanted,
The warm days, and the great outdoors.
It was summer, but it was fall I wanted,
The colorful leaves, and the cool, dry air.
It was fall, but it was winter I wanted,
The beautiful snow, and the joy of the holiday season.
It was winter, but it was spring I wanted,
The warmth and the blossoming of nature.
I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted,
The freedom and respect.
I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted,
To be mature, and sophisticated.
I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted,
The youth and the free spirit.
I was retired, but it was middle-age I wanted,
The presence of mind without limitations.
My life was over, and I never got what I wanted.

Isn’t that awesome!

All the best and remember;

If you are not going to love yourself, who is going to do it for you?

Much Love,

Eric

People first, Money second.

In the dramatic downturn that our present economy is experiencing I have noticed that people start freaking out about money. When money is in “first position” it increases stress and it is IMHO one of the major determining factors in a “depression” and or “recession”

The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the quality of your relationships. There are myriad examples of people that are wealthy beyond imagination that are not happy, miserable, depressed and even suicidal. Several very famous people in all walks of life have taken their own lives because they did not have a “strong psychology” to carry them through the rough and dark times in their lives.

Everyone has heard the age old adage “Do what you love and the money will follow”

I wonder how many of us truly believe it though? And when I say “believe” it, I mean live it!
To truly walk your talk and “be alive” and follow your bliss. Listen to your hearts desire and do just that. All the while staying the course with massive perseverance. With a degree of commitment that any obstacle is merely viewed as a simple stepping stone towards your goal that must be removed.

I can tell you from experience not many. Once again we are back at about 4% of the general population.

I ask just about everyone I meet at some point this question; “If you could do anything you wanted in life and there was absolutely 0% chance of failure” and I mean that 0% chance of failure!

What would you do?

I have found it is best to ask this question before you know someone very well. The less they know you often the more honest they will be in their answer. I am not sure why this is but I have found it to be true.

I asked this question to an extremely driven girl I had dated that put herself through school by dancing at an upscale strip club all the while attending college and getting a 3.96 GPA in psychology. We were just starting to like each other a whole lot and we were still in the “honeymoon phase” She was a rare find in her field as she was young, had no children and avoided any drug or significant alcohol use. She save over $100,000 dollars in a safety deposit box all by herself. She is an amazing story of determination. She was always worried about money though and had a lot of anxiety about her future.

She used to ask me all the time about how to get this job and that job. I helped her get out of the stripping and find other kinds of work that was less draining on her soul. She hands down and admittedly confided to me that the colossal impetus in her stripping was the money. She couldn’t make the kind of money she was making in most professional careers, even doctor or lawyer.

It was cute she used to come stay at my home during the week and she was like a purring kitten. She would read and cook for me. Sometimes we would cook together and she would walk by my refrigerator and take out the “Ben and Jerry’s” eat a few scoops and then check her e-mail and go back to studying. She would widdle away all day at that “Ben and Jerry’s” It was so funny because she weighed about 90 lbs. She was always laughing and pulling little pranks on me and would call me nick names.

Then the weekend would arrive, “primetime” for girls who work in the “strip club” business. Friday morning she would get up and her entire demeanor changed. It was like I had a chameleon in my house.

She would become so “matter of fact” and a switch flipped in her personality. It was also cute, because I knew who she was and this was an act to protect her heart and her soul from the “War Zone”(the club)

I used to call it her “bitch shield” In that environment you need it though. When you are taking people’s money first and strip clubs do it well. Patron’s have a sense of entitlement and expect things. It is the reality of the bizz. Ask anyone that has dated strippers, If they like to go to work. They hate their job, they do it for the money.

I know “porn stars” that like their jobs more than strippers. At least they like sex and are getting paid for something they like to do.

So anyway let me get to my point. When I first me this girl we at the Galleria in Dallas shopping. We were walking down the corridor along the shops holding hands and I asked her the question…

“If you could do anything you wanted and there was no chance of failure, what would you do”

She looked at me and smiled and said “really”

I said yes, “really”

She said, “I would be a mother and have a baby and raise my child as best as I could”.

I was floored, you see I could tell this was an extremely honest answer from the way I felt when she shared this with me. As time went on and I got to know her better she retracted and denied this desire.
As her doubts and fears about life surfaced and she “let down her guard” she became focused on going to school and getting her Phd in Psychology. In get this; studying “Close Romantic Relationships”?

Reminds me of the wise words of Joseph Campbell once again;

“Would you rather go to Heaven, or a lecture about Heaven”?

People are funny and that brings me to the topic of today’s subject “People first, Money Second”

Me and my assistant Rina just got through booking and promoting 3 dates in Texas for my friend Allan Holdsworth. Allan doesn’t play in Texas that often and promoting his shows presents a challenge.
Allan’s fans aren’t mainstream folks. He is a musician’s musician and most of his fan’s are audio connoisseurs who do not subscribe to the traditional media outlets that the herd listen’s to, i.e., “the radio”, local rags like the Dallas Observer. I could call the knuckleheads at The Denton Record Chronicle about the show and they would say “who’s that”. So you get my drift. This is why I liked the challenge.

I love Allan and his music and I admire his dedication to doing what he wants to do, when he wants to do and how he wants to do it. So we went with utilizing what we know best reaching out to the people.

Allan is having a “renaissance” in his career as of late. He has influenced so many people and he also was recently featured on the cover of Guitar Player Magazine again last April. So we had that on our side. Luckily through my years of playing shows myself I have acquired an e-mail list of friends and fans that trust me and that also have great taste in music as well. This is priceless went it comes to creating a buzz on the street and utilizing “word of mouth”

In all my endeavors especially business I aspire to put “people first” and “money second” I made it a point to book the shows at my friends clubs. People that I know and that trust me as much as I do them. People like Dan Mojica at The Silver Leaf, and my friend Pete Gordon at The Continental Club in Houston. Pete introduced me to Steve Wertheimer at The Continental Club in Austin who is a great guy that truly cares about local musicians. Instead of “eating out” at fast food or hotels. I arranged for dear friends that I have that are chefs to cook for Allan, Chad and Jimmy. People like Kei Nagano and my friend Shari Beasley and her sister Cindy and there Mom 79 years young “Antoinette Sacco.

The result; all three shows were sold out and the fans were awesome and waited 2 hours after the show to meet the guys in the band and they sold out of all of their merchandise. Jimmy Johnson, Allan’s bassist who is a great guy and Allan’s favorite bassist to play with even commented on how great the money was on this “mini-tour”. I agree with him as it wasn’t about the money. It was about Allan and his dedication to his art. It was about the fans that appreciate his dedication to his art. It was about the venue owners that take care of the many details that go into having a venue that supports “original” live music. Here are some great photos from the behind the scenes happenings at the shows.

Here we are at Chef Sheri’s home prior to the show in Houston!

Sheri, her Mom and Me!

Chad, Sheri, Mom and Jimmy.

Having Supper. It was hilarious! Mrs Sacco kept calling Chad “the boy” and Jimmy “the hippy” She would say “make sure the boy and the hippy get enough to eat!” She then told them to “go play purdy now”

Allan and the ‘Italian girls” Sheri and Cindy!

All of us after the show. Sheri and Cindy helped Allan sell his merchandise while he signed autographs.

Allan and a couple of “Texas Birds” after the show. You see even pretty girls come to Guitar concerts if you promote them properly.

Have an Incredible Thanksgiving and stay tuned for Playboy part II and a great story about an “up and coming” band “Osage” and their debut CD that me and Eric Delegard produced.

Much Love,

Eric

Eric goes to The Playboy Mansion part 1

You have probably heard me say before that I believe the quality of your life is in the quality of your relationships. In the last several years this belief has been reinforced so deeply in me that it is no longer something I even question. It just is in my core and something that is embedded in my consciousness.

When I was a kid I used to go down the street to my friend Richard Garza’s house. He and his brother’s always had the best music collection and they also had cable and MTV. Richard’s father was this suave Spanish guy with some of the most amazing records in his collection. It was here that I first heard Agustin Castellon Campos known affectionately in the guitar community as “Sabicas” and I also heard the astounding guitar duo “Los Indios Tabajaras” from Brazil.

I still have both on a cassette that Richard made for me and I keep the cassettes in my safe I love them so much. You would never find these on CD. I am going to have my assistant Rina transfer them. Richard’s dad also had a subscription to Playboy magazine. Man did we think that was cool.
We would go over after school and listen to music, play guitars and look at his dad’s magazines before he got home from work. Playboy magazine is an interesting caveat in the Sexual Revolution because women admire the magazine as much as men do. All of my past girlfriends used to check out the magazine as much as I did when we were growing up.

I think the only exceptions are “feminist” and as far as feminist go, well god bless them, but I haven’t met a lot of attractive and happy ones. Gloria Steinem a famous feminist is known for saying “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” And then she married a rich guy?

I remember one time I was hanging out playing pool with my friends. I was about 20 years of age and I saw this knockout walk into the room. Her legs were unbelievable, I went right up to her and told her exactly what I thought word for word. She was in a bad mood because some guy had stood her up. I got her laughing and said you know “God has a sense of humor” He wanted you and me to meet let’s hang out. So I told my friends I was leaving and I was taking this girl with me. This all happened within 5 minutes so my friend Greg says to me “Eric, what in the hell did you say to her” I said to him, I told her exactly what I felt right there in the moment. That’s it.

Anyway here I am we go back to the house I was renting in college and we go inside. The first thing she did as she walked into my house was grab the single Playboy Magazine I had on my bookshelf and start looking at the pictures. I am not the type of guy to hide the magazine because I feel that nudity is natural and beautiful, however it was “counter intuitive” to my psychology at the time that she would be that drawn to it. I will never forget that day as long as I live.

Me and my friend Allan where talking a lot about the power of visualization during the last week he was here. We both have “visualized” guitars that showed up in our lives unexpectedly. Me a Les Paul and Allan an SG. When I was a teenager I worshiped Joe Perry, Leslie West, Al DiMeola and Randy Rhoads whom all played Gibson “Les Pauls”. I wanted one so bad, I used to lay on my bed and dream about it constantly. I even drew a picture of me playing one. One day my guitar teacher from Texas Tom’s Music in Houston offered to sell a Gibson “Black Beauty” Les Paul to my mom for $175, an incredible deal. He needed the money and wanted me to have it. I still have it 25 years later. Coincidence? I think not. It’s like that concept in the “Universal Law of Attraction” Be careful what you wish for you might get it.

So back to our story, I used to hang out at Richard’s house and look at those magazines. At the girls and the cars and the gadgets. I remember saying one day “I am going to go there and see it.”
Over the years I grew out of keeping up with the magazine but I have always enjoyed keeping up with Hugh Hefner and I especially enjoyed the documentary “Once Upon a Time” I always “visualized” going to the Mansion and it was great to see in the documentary; so did Hef. He just focused on realizing his dream until it became reality.

He was in a boring, lifeless marriage and he said to himself ‘This can’t be all there is” and he created a cartoon strip to escape and this cartoon strip evolved eventually into what is now known today as Playboy Magazine.

I strongly believe in self improvement and seeking to be the best I can be. Whenever my band would play gigs in cities in the US, I would often stay an extra day in town so that I could attend a seminar or conference on something. I attend a lot of speeches as well. I have done a “mind mapping” conference in Austin. NLP conference in San Diego, Tony Robbins, Music Strategies with Tim Sweeney. You name it I have probably checked it out. In 2005 when I became single I attended a seminar after a gig in Chicago that was based on social dynamics and dating that was very well done. It was a small group of professional men that attended this because it was expensive. At the seminar one of the speakers stood out from the rest in my opinion. He spoke at the last day and I think a lot of people were just losing their focus and getting tired but the opposite happened to me. My ears perked up and I could tell as I often can that I must get to know this guy.

After I got home from the conference I was on a roll. After a 7 year relationship I found my new freedom exhilarating and I had confidence that was through the roof. I found myself in situations I thought were not even possible and frankly I just kept pushing the envelope to see what was possible. You would not believe what is possible if you just go for it. More on that later.

Because I am in the music business I am in Los Angeles alot. I have a lot of dear friends there and I consider it kind of a home away from home. I like the energy of the nightlife there and I love the fashion and the food. Some of the best Japanese food on the planet. Try “Sushi Nozawa” in Studio City.

So I looked this speaker up and I found that he lived in LA. I arranged a “one on one” with him where I paid him for his time and I basically sat down and interviewed the guy on a variety of topics I was interested in regarding female psychology, social dynamics, multiple relationships, monogamy, why people do what they do, etc, and it was fascinating. Afterwards we would go out in Beverly Hills and just have a blast getting to know people and taking over an entire club sometimes in the process. As a musician I am used to being somewhat of a performer so this opened my eyes to more of an intense spectrum. Especially since I was in Los Angeles which is one of the most “socially dynamic” cities in the world. I learned a lot in a very short amount of time.

I ended up becoming friends with Nick and we stayed in touch. He loves music and picked up the guitar recently and is studying voice. He is also a very savvy businessman which is something we have in common and something that I respect and look for in developing friendships with people.
So he offers me the opportunity to attend a party at The Playboy Mansion with him earlier this year and I went. I had always daydreamed of checking that place out and I can definitely say it was on my checklist right up there with visiting Rome and Prague and a few other places to see what it’s like. So let me walk you through it:

You can’t drive up to the place as “Beverly Glen Dr.” is a private drive. So the way they do it is they have you on a VIP list and you meet at a underground parking garage called Century Park East.
Once you show them your drivers license and they determine you are on the list and that you are who you say you are; They put a wristband on you and stamp the inside of your wrist with a little Playboy bunny. From there you are ushered on to a shuttle bus that takes you to the mansion.

Here is a photo of me standing at the front door:

Once you walk around the back you basically walk into Fantasy Land and the whole thing is just a bit surreal. The grounds are impeccable and everything is manicured and just spotless. The party I was there for was a musicians “celebrity auction” for Breast Cancer awareness. (Cute eh?)

They throw the food out there and everything is done first class. There is an open bar and everyone is very open and eager to talk with you and meet. It is funny, I found girls there in 3 categories:

1. The Playboy girls-very nice and outgoing, you can tell they are paid to be there and they do their job well. They are generally wearing body paint and they have incredible bodies with really bad boob jobs. (I am not a fan of boob jobs or plastic surgery for that matter)

2. The “wanna be in Playboy” girls- they have generally been invited to the Mansion by some wealthy guy or they sent their photo in and got an invitation. They always say that they are in Playboy and will mention some month. As it turns out they were on the website as the “cyber girl” of the month and there is a small thumbnail photo of them on the website that was up for a week. It’s OK the whole thing is kind of cute. I was just as caught up in the fantasy and the aura of the place as anyone else that wasn’t a regular. These girls are all wearing lingerie.

3. The “has been in Hollywood too long” girls. Unfortunately these “birds” should have left the nest a long time ago. They have “trout mouth” (too many collagen injections) and fit the mode of what many call a “cougar” The plastic surgery is a mess and these boob jobs are just plain “horrifying”.
They also have the most “balls” of the 3 groups and well, I’ll just be blunt: they walk around naked!
You just kind of walk past them and go “damn girl” and just keep moving. It’s a very funny scene.

With all that being said here are some photos with a few brief captions and I will get to the part 2 in a few days. The story behind the scenes and the amazing perspective of a professional photographer I met that has worked for Playboy for 30 years. I love older guys that have been around the planet for several years. You can learn so much by just listening to their stories.

Here is me and my friend Nick at the pre-party:

This is the “infamous” grotto:

This is me inside the “infamous” grotto

Another shot inside

This is the control panel inside the Grotto where they communicate with the Mansion. Isn’t it retro? It is so 70’s I love it! It looks like something straight out of a Bond movie. It still works and everything! I contemplated hitting the intercom and ordering a martini “shaken not stirred”

This is me and Keith (Hef’s brother) and a couple of “bunnies” they are wearing only body paint and it takes all day for the artist to prepare them.

So stay tuned for part 2 where I will tell what happened and all the extremely interesting things I learned while I was there. I met some interesting people as well and a lot of what is happening there is not what you would think.

Follow your dreams and live your life with passion!

Much Love,

Eric

Never Assume, Always Verify.

I have been getting so many calls, e-mail and letters espousing every kind of propaganda imaginable about the upcoming election it has been at the least annoying to even open them.

“Obama is a terrorist”

“Palin says Obama pals around with ‘terrorist’ ”

“What is John McCain’s problem with women”

“What did Ron Paul do with all the money he raised on the internet?”

The media is a sad sack of “sound bite” laden talking heads that play their little role just like Don Henley sings about in his brilliant song “Dirty Laundry”

I am not joking about these “talking heads” they are a mess. I was engaged years ago to a reporter who used to get “excited” when there was a plane crash!

She got off on it and man! that is some sad stuff. But it is reality and the way the herd “rolls” these days! Kick em’ when there up, kick em’ when there down!

So I got to thinking today about about a “prime example” on mass “cultural media hypnosis” that must be finally addressed and dealt with with “RADICAL HONESTY”

Here is “once again” proof that 96% of our culture believes everything they read and are basically “stimulus response junkies” and sheep and cows being lead to the trough on a daily basis. My sister hates when I say 96% percent of the culture are zombies and cows.

I have to tell you though the more I look into this the more I find this to be true.

Try this…

Honestly do this experiment…

Ask 10 people you know today whether they think O.J. Simpson is guilty of murdering Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. Write down the results and look at the percentage…

I gurantee you will get in the 80-90 percentile of the populus saying “he did it”. Even if you ask African Americans. I know this case is “old news” and this was 14 years ago but there is a invaluable priceless lesson to be learned here.

Alright! Are you ready for this?

This is going to be a “trip” so crack open a bottle of wine or heat up some green tea and get ready to get your “read on”

Like everyone else I was caught up in the O.J. “Trial of the Century” and after the initial media frenzy and Bronco Chase, I believed he did it. I thought it was a slam dunk!

When he was acquitted, I was shocked and parlayed into it all being about “race” and whatever other “hype” the media fed the salivating “herd” at the time.

Well I have to tell you, God has a sense of humor. I love NPR and I listen to NPR when me and my band are on the road in the van or rental cars. I am listening to this NPR one day and they are interviewing this private investigator “Bill Dear” from Dallas. Bill has at this time carefully studied the case and is laying out his theory that O.J. Simpson is not the murderer but was at the crime scene afterwards and knows who did it. I was making a deposit at Bank of America at this time and I have to say this;

I had to pull over the interview was so damn intriguing!

Bill wrote a book, a damn fine book called “O.J. is Guilty-But Not Of Murder”

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=william+c.+dear

I love to read and I ended up buying the book and I got “goose bumps” when I read it.

Bill did his homework and he lays out a case by case well researched scenario that once you read it leads to an unequivocal case of “reasonable doubt”

Let me introduce you to Bill…

He became like a second father to me when he brilliantly handled a case for me where I was falsely accused of something “ludicrous” buy someone I did not even know. He exposed the bullshit of the situation in a timely immediate matter and did so with integrity, honesty, trust and respect.

Have a look at this. You might find it interesting;

As you can see Bill breaks this down and this is startling new evidence. And you see once again why you can’t believe what you read and are told by the talking heads in the media.

Here are some interesting facts surrounding the case that Bill uncovered step by step;

Jason Lamar Simpson
I think they are still nailing him accusing him of murdering his wife, but because of double jeopardy they twisted this case by stealing his stuff making him go after it….He is not getting a fair trial on this… I do not believe he killed his wife….but his son Jason did it.
Jason Simpson
1. HE WAS CONSIDERED A “PROBLEM CHILD” AT AN EARLY AGE.
2. HE OVERDOSED ON DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AT AGE 14, AND HAD TO BE RUSHED TO A HOSPITAL.
3. HIS MOTHER MARGUERITE COULD NOT CONTROL HIM, AND HE HAD TO MOVE IN WITH O.J. AND NICOLE AT AN EARLY AGE.
4. AS A TEENAGER HE FLEW INTO A FIT OF RAGE AND ATTACKED A STATUE OF HIS FATHER WITH A BASEBALL BAT.
5. HE STOLE HIS FATHER’S CAR AND WAS TURNED IN BY NICOLE.
6. RONALD SHIPP DESCRIBED JASON SIMPSON AS HAVING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS, ALONG WITH ABUSING DRUGS AND ALCOHOL.
7. JASON WAS TREATED AT THE UCLA NEURO-PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE FOR A MENTAL CONDITION, LATER BEING DIAGNOSED AS “INTERMITTENT RAGE DISORDER” ACCOMPANIED BY SEIZURES. HE WAS PRESCRIBED DEPAKOTE, A DRUG FREQUENTLY PRESCRIBED TO INDIVIDUALS SUFFERRING FROM RAGE.
8. ACCORDING TO SHIPP, JASON AND NICOLE WOULD GO OUT DANCING AND PARTYING TOGETHER.
9. JASON WAS ARRESTED FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE AND HAVING DRUGS AND ALCOHOL IN THE CAR WITH HIM AT THE TIME OF THE ARREST.
10. JASON ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY STABBING HIMSELF WITH A PAIR OF SCISSORS.
11. JASON, IN A FIT OF RAGE, ASSAULTED HIS GIRLFRIEND JACKIE WHEREIN HE NEARLY BREAKS HER BACK BY THROWING HER INTO AN EMPTY BATHTUB.
12. JASON ATTACKED HIS GIRLFRIEND JACKIE WITH A CHEF’S KNIFE AND CUTS OFF HER HAIR.
13. JASON ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY CUTTING HIS WRISTS WITH A SHARD OF BROKEN GLASS.
14. JASON ATTEMPTED SUICIDE A SECOND TIME. THIS TIME BY OVERDOSING ON DEPAKOTE. HE WAS COMMITTED TO THE PSYCHIATRIC WARD AT SAINT JOHN’S HOSPITAL.
15. JASON HAD REPEATEDLY BEEN WARNED NOT TO USE DRUGS AND ALCOHOL WHILE TAKING THE MEDICATION, BECAUSE IT COULD FURTHER COMPLICATE HIS EXISTING NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION, BUT CONTINUED TO DO SO.
16. JASON WAS ARRESTED AT THE TIME OF A ROUTINE TRAFFIC VIOLATION AND WAS PUT UNDER THE CARE OF A PSYCHIATRIST.
17. JASON WAS ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING HIS FORMER EMPLOYER, PAUL GOLDBERG, WITH A KITCHEN KNIFE. AT THE TIME OF THE MURDERS, JASON WAS STILL ON PROBATION FOR THIS EARLIER OFFENSE ON PAUL GOLDBERG.
18. JUST PRIOR TO THE MURDERS, JASON FELT HE WAS “GOING TO RAGE”, AND CHECKED INTO CEDARS SINAI HOSPITAL. PREVIOUSLY, WHEN HE WAS ABOUT TO RAGE, HE CLAIMED TO HALLUCINATE BY HEARING VOICES OF PEOPLE WHO WEREN’T THERE.
19. TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE MURDERS JASON, IN A BLIND RAGE, ASSAULTED HIS GIRLFRIEND, JENNIFER GREEN, AT HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY. LATER THAT NIGHT, ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE, TRIED TO STRANGLE HER.
20. TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE MURDERS JASON WAS KNOWN TO HAVE STOPPED TAKING HIS DEPAKOTE BECAUSE, AS HE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID, “IT’S FUCKING WITH MY HEAD”.
21. ON THE NIGHT BEFORE THE MURDERS, NICOLE HAD ARRANGED TO EAT AT JACKSON’S RESTAURANT [ON THE NIGHT OF THE MURDERS], WHERE JASON WAS THE CHEF, BUT SHE FAILED TO SHOW UP [ON THE NIGHT OF THE MURDERS].
22. ACCORDING TO JENNIFER GREEN AND A WAITER FROM JACKSON’S, JASON LEFT THE RESTAURANT WHERE HE WORKED AROUND 9:45 P.M., APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR PRIOR TO THE MURDERS.
23. JENNIFER GREEN CLAIMED THAT JASON WAS WITH HER UNTIL AFTER 11:00 P.M. ON THE NIGHT OF THE MURDERS, BUT JASON’S CIVIL DEPOSITION INDICATED HE DID NOT SPEND THE EVENING WITH JENNIFER GREEN AS SHE INDICATED, BUT WENT DIRECTLY HOME AFTER HE DROPPED JENNIFER OFF AT HER APARTMENT.
24. JASON HAD NO ALIBI AFTER 10:00 P.M., ONCE HE LEFT JACKSON’S RESTAURANT AND DROPPED OFF HIS GIRLFRIEND JENNIFER GREEN, OTHER THAN HIS CLAIM THAT HE WAS ALONE AT HIS APARTMENT WATCHING TELEVISION UNTIL AFTER 3:00 A.M.
25. SUPPOSEDLY JASON HAD AN AIR-TIGHT ALIBI, ACCORDING TO THE POLICE, THAT HE WAS COOKING IN FRONT OF 200 PEOPLE AT JACKSON’S RESTAURANT. ON THAT PARTICULAR NIGHT THERE WERE LESS THAN 40 PATRONS AT THE RESTAURANT THE ENTIRE NIGHT. JASON LEFT BEFORE IT CLOSED.
26. EXPERT’S ESTABLISHED THAT THE PROBABLE MURDER WEAPON WAS A CHEF’S KNIFE.
27. JASON HAD HIS OWN CHEF’S KNIVES AND KEPT THEM WITH HIM.
28. JASON HAD IN HIS POSSESSION A SET OF CHEF’S KNIVES WHEN HE LEFT JACKSON’S RESTAURANT AT APPROXIMATELY 9:45 P.M. ON THE NIGHT OF THE MURDERS.
29. JASON WAS ALLEGEDLY UPSET THAT NICOLE AND HER PARTY DID NOT COME TO JACKSON’S AS ARRANGED ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 12, 1994.
30. JASON’S BLOOD CHEMISTRY IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE SIMILAR GENETIC CHARACTERISTICS AS O.J.’S.
31. O.J. AND JASON HAVE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME SIZE FEET. JASON ALSO HAD ACCESS TO O.J.’S CLOTHES CLOSET AND IS KNOWN TO HAVE TAKEN ITEMS OF CLOTHING FROM HIS DAD AT WILL.
32. JAMES G. CRON, CRIME SCENE EXPERT, HAS STUDIED THE INVESTIGATIVE MATERIAL AND DETERMINED THAT JASON SIMPSON SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A MAJOR SUSPECT IN THE MURDERS OF NICOLE SIMPSON AND RON GOLDMAN.
33. ENGLAND CRIME SCENE EXPERTS TERRY MERSTON AND HIS PARTNER, PETER HARPUR, STATED O.J. IS NOT THE KILLER OF NICOLE SIMPSON AND RON GOLDMAN BUT IN ALL PROBABILITY WAS AT THE CRIME SCENE AFTER THE MURDERS. THEY BOTH FELT THAT JASON SIMPSON SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A MAJOR SUSPECT.
34. DR. HARVEY DAVISSON, DR. WILLIAM FLYNN, DR. WILLIAM TEDFORD, AND DR. CHARLES KELLER REVIEWED JASON’S RECORDS AND FELT, BASED ON MY [DET. WILLIAM DEAR] INVESTIGATIVE MATERIAL, THAT JASON SIMPSON IS PSYCHOLOGICALLY DISTURBED AND IN NEED OF HELP.
35. A PROMINENT PHYSICIAN IN MASSACHUSETTS DESCRIBED JASON LAMAR SIMPSON AS “A WALKING TIME BOMB”.
37. ROBERT SHAPIRO, O.J.’S ATTORNEY, HAS INDICATED THAT JASON WAS HIS FIRST SUSPECT EXCEPT FOR HIS AIR-TIGHT ALIBI ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 12, 1994.
38. JASON WAS NEVER INTERVIEWED BY ANY OF THE LOS ANGELES POLICE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES NOR THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE. NOR WAS HE ASKED TO FURNISH AN ALIBI FOR THE EVENING OF SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 1994 IN CONNECTION WITH THE MURDERS OF NICOLE SIMPSON AND RON GOLDMAN. NOR, ACCORDING TO SOURCES, WERE JASON’S FINGERPRINTS EXAMINED IN COMPARISON TO THE UNIDENTIFIED FINGERPRINTS FOUND AT THE CRIME SCENE.
39. JASON’S PSYCHIATRIST STATED THAT IF JASON WAS GUILTY HE COULD NEVER BE CONVICTED BECAUSE OF HIS MENTAL CONDITION.
40. JASON’S PSYCHIATRIST SHREDDED ALL OF JASON’S MEDICAL RECORDS AFTER THE MURDERS.
41. ON THE VERY DAY AFTER THE MURDERS, JUNE 13, 1994, O.J. HIRED A WELL-KNOWN CRIMINAL ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT JASON. THIS WAS PRIOR TO O.J.’S ARREST FOR THE MURDERS.
42. JASON BREAKS THROUGH THE POLICE LINE TO REACH HIS FATHER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SLOW-SPEED CAR CHASE.
43. JASON WOULDN’T GIVE JACKIE, HIS GIRLFRIEND, ANY STRAIGHT ANSWERS ABOUT THE MURDERS.
44. MARCIA CLARK AND THE LOS ANGELES DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE CONSIDERED THIS TO BE A “RAGE KILLING BY AN AMATEUR”.
45. JASON BOLTED FROM THE FUNERAL HOME, VISIBLY UPSET, AT THE TIME OF NICOLE SIMPSON’S FUNERAL, NOT WANTING TO VIEW NICOLE’S BODY.
46. JASON WAS ARRESTED FOR HIT AND RUN DURING O.J.’S TRIAL.
47. JASON WAS SAID TO HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WHEN WOMEN LIED TO HIM.
48. PER FORMER GIRLFRIENDS HE WAS PROVEN TO BE A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR–THE KIND THAT TRULY BELIEVES HIS OWN LIES.
49. FORMER GIRLFRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES OF JASON DESCRIBE HIM AS HAVING A “DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE” PERSONALITY WITH UNCONTROLLABLE RAGE.
50. FOUND IN JASON’S TRASH IN FEBRUARY OF 2000, A PIECE OF NOTEBOOK PAPER WITH LAYERS OF HANDWRITTEN NOTES WRITTEN ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, APPEARING TO BE SCRIBBLING AT FIRST SIGHT, STATING “DEAR JASON” AND DESCRIBED THE WRITER AS “THREE PEOPLE…WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS…FUCKED…I KNOW WHAT TO DO BUT I HAVEN’T GOT ENOUGH GUTS TO DO IT.”
51. THE NOTE THAT WAS FOUND IN JASON’S TRASH, THAT [ATTRIBUTED] THE WRITER AS BEING THREE PERSONS, WAS LATER IDENTIFIED BY HANDWRITING EXPERTS AS BEING WRITTEN BY JASON LAMAR SIMPSON. A SHOCKING BUT REVEALING PIECE OF EVIDENCE OF HIS OWN PERCEPTION OF HIS TRUE PERSONALITY.
FROM: O.J. IS GUILTY, BUT NOT OF MURDER, BY WILLIAM C. DEAR, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.

Furthermore, they say “a picture is worth a thousand words”

Check out this picture of O.J. Simpson’s family as the verdict of “not guilty” is being read. To the left you see Eunice Simpson, (OJ’s mom) rejoicing in the verdict. O’J'’s two sister’s Arnelle and Carmelita are next.

Now take a long look at Jason’s facial expression and body language. No emotion! Interesting isn’t it?

 The next time you encounter someone running off verbally or in print about OJ literally getting away with murder, ask or find out if that person has ever read (or perhaps even heard of) Dear’s book. If the answer is no (most likely), you can immediately discount anything being said on the subject as at best uninformed. Dear’s study is the definitive analysis of the OJ case, and changed this writer’s views 180 degrees. Even if you are only marginally interested in the case, you should read this book. Dear, a considerably credentialed private investigator of 35 years, carefully lays out his six years spent investigating why OJ did not commit and could not have committed the murders, but for very good reasons was at the scene of the crime shortly thereafter. Had OJ been the murderer, copious quantities of blood would have soaked him, his clothes and his car; and there would have been traces of such blood throughout his vehicle and his Rockingham residence plumbing, carpeting, and grounds.

But there were only tiny amounts of dried blood (no more than could fit collectively on a fingernail!) in such areas, which are readily explained by OJ’s after-the-fact presence. Dear investigates alibis and destroys them when they are bogus. He demonstrates who the principal suspect(s) should have been and why, and shows how such suspect(s) was (were) NEVER ONCE CONSIDERED as such in the criminal investigation. He shows how crucial evidence was ignored or overlooked. In the process, Dear manages to severely damage the credibility of the LAPD’s and DA’s conduct in this case, exposing the slipshod investigations, bungled contamination of evidence, sloppy forensics, the DA’s rush-to-judgement tunnel vision, and even possible (self-righteously inspired or inadvertent) planting of evidence. One gets to read about not only Mr. Dear’s investigation, but also the opinions of world-class specialists in such areas as criminal and medical psychology, contamination of evidence, forensics, handwriting analysis, knives and knife wounds, karate tactics, and the like: At various stages of his investigation, Dear enlists these highly credentialed experts’ inspection of his data for their unbiased third-party assessments and criticisms.

Dear’s analyses are not remote ivory tower posturing and postulating. His six years spent off and on in the field (interrupted by major back surgery and other cases he was working on) were at the various murder and proximate sites and around the country (even London) doing real grunt work, tracking down one report or lead after another, one set of records after another, one expert after another, all on his own nickel. As a private investigator and lacking the powers of subpoena and to compel testimony, he had to be highly inventive to gain access to such information as police reports, medical records, key persons of unknown whereabouts, and evidence not introduced at trial.

The result is this relentlessly progressing well-paced, well-organized book which is a thrilling, harrowing, can’t-put-it-down read. At times, the reader feels the tension and the almost hair-raising prospective dangers this investigator puts himself in to get at key evidence. To undertake this sort of task, one has to be not only very well organized with good powers of observation, but also an impetuous risk-taker and dare-devil with a mental attitude akin to that of somewhat who specializes in defusing unexploded bombs.

But with the LAPD having gone from one scandal to another in recent years, and with tunnel vision besetting the DA’s office, with the media barrage of OJ jokes, the uninformed and sensationalistic media hyping, and the populations’ greater interest in entertainment and scandal than in truth, is it any surprise that in the twenty months since first reading this book (yes, it’s that good!), this writer has seen NOTHING in the way of re-opened investigations? And who would gain? Nichole Brown and Ron Goldman are dead; nothing will change that. If you believe this book, OJ salvaged everything he possibly could out of a bad situation not of his doing: an acquittal and protection of his concerns, at the cost of a good deal of money and some unavoidable damage to his standing. His defense lawyers certainly got everything they wanted. The true suspect isn’t craving visibility. What more could beneficiaries of the civil lawsuit gain; one can imagine the ensuing chaos to various such settlements if OJ were formally proved innocent in a court of law? The investigative and prosecutorial powers wouldn’t want a re-opening that would only reiterate their prior incompetence. So despite analyses like this one, this writer predicts that, unfortunately, nothing will change. But read the book! It’s a great study of how a really good private investigator can operate. What has happened on this case subsequent to the book’s publication (nothing?) certainly does not reflect on its’ thesis. Indeed this book is a classic case study of …and justice for none.

Remember a picture is worth a thousand words. So once more have a look at this photo:

Isn’t it interesting to see the utter cold expression on Jason’s face as the verdict is read?

Never Assume, Always verify!

Much Love!

Eric

This is FUNNY!!!

With all the depressing BS going on in our country at this time, a good laugh goes a long way… I like the satirical paper “The Onion” this is a breaking story straight from their press:

Members Of Twisted Sister Now Willing To Take It

September 29, 2008 |

“NEW YORK”In a stunning reversal of their long-stated reluctance to take it, members of heavy-metal band Twisted Sister announced Monday that, after 24 years of fervent refusal, they are now willing to take it. “I acknowledge that we promised not to take it anymore, but things change. The world is a different place today, and with that in mind, we would like to go on record as saying that, starting right now, we are going to take it,” read a statement released by the band’s lead singer, Dee Snider. “To clarify, we would still prefer not to take it, but as of now, taking it is an option that we would be open to. That is all.” Bassist Mark “the Animal” Mendoza also stated that, in regards to what he wants to do with his life, he no longer solely wants to rock, but would instead prefer doing other things, such as raising a family and working as a claims adjuster in Rye, NY.

This is great, just freaking great!!!

Much Love,

Eric

How To Practice

I get a lot of questions on how to practice.

There are a lot of different strokes for different folks that work well. Since I am going to focus on music. use a military analogy. In the military generals like to keep it simple.

1. Establish the perimeter.

2. Set up your channels of communication.

3. Attack.

Can it really be this simple? Yes, let me show you:

1. Establishing the perimeter- I will use the guitar as an example. You have to know the neck and every note on it. I like this quote Know that, which is in front of your face and all that is hidden shall be revealed One of the best ways to do this is by association.

Say you know the name of the open strings starting with the lowest in pitch. EADGBE.

Here is a great way to remember them;

6. Elvis

5. Always

4. Drinks

3. Gatorade

2. Before

1. Eating

The first letter of each word is the name of the open string starting with the lowest E.

Now, if you go to the 5th fret of the low E which we call the first point of reference

You will find that the name of that note is the same as the next adjacent string

Now if you go to the first point of reference on the A string (5th fret) the name of that note will be the same as the next open adjacent string

Continue on to the first point of reference on the D string (5th fret) and the name of that note will be the same as the next adjacent string

The  string is special as point of reference is the 4th fret but the established rule of same note as next adjacent string still applies. (More on why this later, its very interesting)

When we get to the B string we find the point of reference reverts back to the 5th fret and is the same as the next open string.

Now if you go to the 12th fret of the guitar which is called the 8 letters higher (6 whole steps) you will find the same notes as the original open strings EADGBE.

So we have established a perimeter in 3 easy steps.

1. Open strings EADGBE

2. 5th Fret (excluding G string which is 4th fret) 1st point of reference

3. 12TH Fret EADGBE

From here you can explore and familiarize yourself with the notes rather than memorize them. Start by filling in the cracks. For example use the established perimeters as reference points to find a note. Let start with for example.

Let as find all of the A on the guitar starting with the lowest string in pitch, the 6th string. The low E.

What is the first point of reference? The 5th fret which just happens to be the note so that was easy. You can always add or subtract 12 and get the same note, so 5+12=17. So the 17th fret would also be an In reverse 17-12=5th fret would be the same note A

Let’s go to the next string the A and there it is the open string is A add 12. 12+0=12 So the 12th fret is the same note as the open string.

When you get to the ask your self this question, Is closer to the first point of reference (5th fret G) or the 2nd point of reference (12th fret D)?

The answer would be G because in the musical alphabet G comes right before A. So go to your 1st point of reference (5th fret G) and we know that A is one whole step above G so the 7th fret of of your D String is the note A. Once again you can always add 12 and get the same note. So 7+12=19 and the 19th fret is also A.

Simply repeat this formula on each string and within a few weeks you will see the perimeter of the guitar in a whole new light. You become like a musical detective. Seek and ye shall find. There are only 7 notes in the musical alphabet A,B,C,D,E,F,G.

Dont worry about sharps and flats that is simple. Sharp just means raise a note 1/2 step and Flat just means to lower a note 1/2 step. So if you know what is you know what is.

So imagine if you explored one note a day across the entire perimeter of the guitar? In 2 weeks in a matter of minutes you massively establish the perimeter.

Now, let’s set up the channels of communication:

1. The first channel of communication in music is sound. Your ears, trust them and rely on them first and foremost. When I see students making mistakes I almost always see the tops of their heads because they are staring at the guitar neck and they are frozen.

Think about it, this is why blind people have excelled in music for years. Due to the challenge they face they are hyper aware of the power of listening. Think of Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Jeff Healy, Jose Feliciano and Ronnie Milsap just to name a few.

After Ray Charles passed away his record company had engineers go and start archiving and re-mastering all of his old master tapes. You see his music is a national treasure and a lot of the old recordings face the danger of tape drop sine they were recorded in the 50s and 60s on magnetic tape which deteriorates over time. So the engineers have been going back and re-mastering everything in a digital format. When they do this, it is done against a grid where you can see everything in real time. You can see the downbeat and the exact placement of all the vocals and instrumentation against the grid.

The engineers were shocked to see scientifically what they already new intuitively. Ray Charles timing was phenomenally accurate and precise. This was his world. Without the distraction of sight he focused on the sound and feel of his music and related to it that way.

Which brings me to the second channel of communication in music;

2. Feeling- Lose your mind and come to your senses,  is the next most important sense to rely when playing and instrument. If someone says that you play with a lot of feeling. That is a great compliment. Once again we can cultivate this approach by becoming sensetives to it and bringing it to the forefront.

3. Sight- This would be the 3rd channel. Say something did not sound or feel right. Then we might look at our fingers or our instrument to make an adjustment. Think of it like driving a car.

Would it be a good idea to drive a car while staring in the rear-view mirror the entire time? NO! that would be crazy. We look in the rear-view mirror when we need to make an adjustment like changing lanes or exiting the freeway. In the same way staring at your guitar when you play it locks out the 2 primary channels you want to rely on. Sound and Feel.

Once you have established the perimeter and set up the channels of communication then you can attack and take it over. This is where it is great to find a good coach and mentor or a friend that plays already to show you tunes and how to play blues.

Here is a great tip on motivating kids to practice that I learned from Edward Kohanamoku an amazing Slack Key guitar player I met in Hawaii. When I saw Ed perform live he did and amazing set and then had an intermission. After the intermission he came out and brought several of his children onstage with him. They ranged from late teens to as young as 5. It was cute they all walked out in a line after him like baby skunks or something. When they started playing it was on!

When the concert was finished I spent some time with him and because I was curious I asked him he how he motivated all his kids to practice. He looked at me in a way where I could tell he had a lot to say about this and he told me the following story.

In Hawaii music is a very integral part of our people and our culture. In the evenings after supper all of the adults get together and sing and play cards and dance well into the evening. All the kids are sent to bed unless they play an instrument or sing. In that case they are permitted to stay up past their bedtime. We will give them a tambourine or a ukulele and encourage them to join in. Otherwise you have to go to bed. No exceptions.

In each home in a traditional Hawaiin household their is a room that is dedicated to this and it also where all the instruments are stored. Children are not permitted in this room and it is for adults only. The door is always locked when the parents are home.

However, when the parents leave to do errands or go shopping they always unlock the door when the children are home by themselves. They leave the door closed but make sure to unlock it on the way out.

You see the clever psychology at work here? If you or your children are not practicing, it is your own fault. Part of being a parent is being a leader and being an influence. Taking the role serious and outsmarting the foxes (the children)

My jiu-jitsu instructor told me a great story about his father. When he was a child and he would win a match. His father would give him a gift as a reward.

When he would lose a match his father would give him 2 gifts. To let him know that he loved him even more.

He told me this little gesture would motivate him to win like never before and he could count the times he recieved 2 gifts easily on one hand. He hated to lose because he never wanted to let down his father. This subtlety of his fathers message was brilliant and I will never forget that story and the wisdom inherent in it.

Much Love and remember Practice doesn’t make perfect. It makes Permanent.

Perfect Practice makes perfect sense. Do it slow and absorb yourself and immerse your soul in it. The question I get asked the most in my studio in all these years is how do you play fast? If I had a dollar for every person that asked me that I would be in Italy on the beach right now! I always tell people practice slow and relaxed and make sure you are breathing. Nobody ever believes me. 96% of folks just don’t believe me. It’s weird.

Here is what I tell them. There are 2 Goddesses on each of your shoulders. On the right is the Goddess of Speed. On the Left is the Goddess of Slowness and Accuracy

If you pay more attention to the Goddess of Slowness and Accuracy

The Goddess of Speed will become jealous and pay more attention to you.

Sayonara,

Eric

Fly like an Eagle…

Fly like an Eagle…
Current mood: curious

One thing I believe deeply in life is that the quality of your life is the quality of your relationships. I have this good friend named Jim Gardner that studies guitar with me. I first met his son Griffin that took lessons initially and being a fan of music Jim figured he would take a stab at it as well.

I have one major qualifying criteria that makes a great student. Perserverance, this is the big thing. Just staying the course. Jim does this as well as anybody and he is a cool cat into guitar for all the right reasons. He enjoys it and he has went from playing basic 3 chord blues to tackling Jeff Beck’s “Cause We Ended as Lovers” in a little over a year.

Jim had some logistics issues attending the Eagles concert Saturday night in Dallas so he gave me his tickets. I have to tell you I was surprised and it was a great gesture and deeply appreciated. I have been investing all my loot into developing my new website and completing my new songs for a new CD.  This was the “hottest ticket” in town and the Eagles had sold out The American Airlines center two nights in a row.

I called up my friend Ashley who had great taste in music as I knew she would appreciate the show and get it. She is 23 yet she has an “old soul” and loves to dance as well. The first night I met her “officially” she was at my house singing and dancing up a storm and it was cute to say the least. She had to be the youngest person at the concert that evening.

Several women at the concert commented on this phenomena and since tickets were expensive the crowd was an upscale group of older distinguished folks. I couldn’t help but do the math in my head and figure it out this way though. Glen Frey had mentioned from the stage the first time he played “Take it Easy” in Dallas was in 1974 from the stage at The Cotton Bowl. “I was 4 years young at that time!” Here are a group of guys that just grew up and matured with their audience. All the while writing great songs and writing the soundtrack of their lives and our lives at the same time.

There was no opening band. The show started at 8 P.M. They had a 15 minute intermission and they played until just before midnight. They played hit after hit after hit and they just kept coming. And I can still think of songs that they did not get around to. All 4 primary members of the Eagles are great singers. Timothy B. Smit the bass player has this silky R&B falsetto thing that he does really well. He reminds me of James Taylor at times as well. Glen Frey has a very laid back confident approach and a great story teller and rapport with the audience. He seems to write the country flavored numbers the best like “Lyin Eyes”, “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Take it Easy”

Don Henley another great singer in his own right is a man of few words but his voice is just so distinct and just so “fucking cool”. He did hit after hit and would play drums while singing some songs, guitar on others and sometimes just be a “frontman” He sang “Hotel California” and so many of his great songs like “Boys of Summer” and “Deperado”

Then there is Joe Walsh. What a Rockstar! He is like the joker in the bunch. His style is so edgy and quirky yet it just rocks. I heard this great quote once that was “It is often when people are joking, that they are the most serious” I think Joe sums that up better than anybody and his part of the set where they feature him is a real high point in their incredible set.

The band was top notch as well and Glenn took the time to introduce each band member by name and this concert had to be the most elegant display of professionalism I have ever seen in a live music setting.

I know that it is a “cliche” to say this and they say that all parents think what the kids listen to is trash. I am not a parent yet so I am not qualified to make a comment in that arena. However I make my living as a musician and I am as immersed as anybody in this business. When I was growing up I begged my parents for Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith Records. I also listened to bands like the Eagles and The Beatles. The only “questionable” act I seemed to outgrow was KISS. Even at a young age I understood KISS was what it was and I didn’t think of them in the same veign as ther aforementioned bands, I knew it was more about image and putting on a show.

This leads to ask this question. What band that started in the 90’s or in modern times has a lineup of talent and a committment to being the best like the Eagles. The only thing I could think of off hand would be “Red Hot Chili Peppers” and the vocal talent in that pool is not even remotely close. I watched a few clips of the MTV music awards the other day.

WOW! What a joke that was. Btitney Spears, The Jonas Brothers? “Lil’ Wayne”? Lil’ Wayne? man that guy is funny but to even call that music is a disgrace to the word “music” itself. Am I crazy? am I really this out of touch?

Is that Sarah Palin possibly going to be a person who has access codes to a nuclear arsenal?

Am I going crazy or is the world really become this devolved?

Your comments are welcome as I can’t be the only one asking these questions.

Great Cowboy game last night!

Lot’s of heart there!

Hat’s off to Dominic’s girlfriend Patricia for the great Paella!

Much Love,